Mass Effect: Chains of the Past
by Zarkovagis9
Summary: Saren has declared war on the Council and it's races and as the first human Spectre, Commander John Shepard has to stop him with a team of elite operatives of all races. However, some pains are too great to keep secret. And some chains never let go...
1. Prologue: Proving Grounds

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«0.00: Arcturus Station: Command Deck: Executive Board Room»

«or Proving Grounds»

WELCOME TO ALLIANCE MILITARY DATABASE

CLASSIFIED INFORMATION REQUESTED

ESTABLISHING SECURE CONNECTION…

SECURE CONNECTION CONFIRMED.

PLEASE LOG-IN TO ACCESS ALLIANCE MILITARY PERSONNEL DATABASE:

USERNAME: AndersonD.

PASSWORD: ••••••

PREPARING TO SEND…

CONNECTION ESTABLISHED.

SENDING…

DECRYPTING…

VERIFYING USER NAME…

VERIFYING USER DATA…

VERIFIED.

WELCOME, CAPTAIN DAVID ANDERSON, TO ALLIANCE MILITARY PERSONNEL DATABASE.

DOWNLOADING REQUESTED PERSONNEL FILE…

DOWNLOAD COMPLETE.

ACCESSING PERSONNEL FILE…

ACCESS GRANTED.

PERSONNEL FILE #1567-2937

NAME: JOHN SHEPARD

RANK: LIEUTENANT COMMANDER

SERVICE NO.: 5923-AC-2826

CURRENT AGE: 29

DATE OF BIRTH: April 11, 2154

PLACE OF BIRTH: New York City, New York, United States of America, Earth, Sol System

HEIGHT: 5'11"

WEIGHT: 183 lbs.

HAIR COLOR: BLACK

EYE COLOR: BLUE

PRE-SERVICE HISTORY

John Shepard was born on April 11, 2154 on Earth. He was first recorded as being born in St. Michael's Hospital and given up for adoption afterwards. He was seen nearly 5 years later being raised on the streets in one of many of New York's gangs, the Ten Street Reds. Information during this time is incomplete and unsure.

When John was only 10 years of age, he managed to board one of the many colonial ships heading towards new worlds, the _MSV Scorpio_, heading to the colony on Mindoir.

In 2167, Batarian slavers, slaughtering most of the colonists and taking many of the survivors as slaves, raided the colony of Mindoir. An Alliance team from the _SSV Einstein_ was sent to drive them off, but due to the heavy defenses in place, they could not reach many of colonists in time.

John, age 13, somehow managed to escape from the slavers and was picked up by a passing Alliance patrol, led by the now Executive Officer of the _SSV Kilimanjaro_, Hannah Shepard. It is unclear how Shepard managed to elude the slavers, as he is reluctant/hesitant to talk of it.

It should be noted that many of the survivors claimed to have seen a young child grab a gun and kill several of the slavers. John was found with a gun in his hand when Hannah Shepard picked him up.

Hannah Shepard later adopted John as her own son. John spent the rest of his young adult life aboard starships and stations as his adoptive parents were transferred from posting to posting.

It should be noted that he had problems adjusting, which mainly showed up during his schooling. One incident to be noted was during the lunch period. Witnesses say that the quarterback of the local football team along with three other of his friends began teasing him. When John retaliated, the entire football team became involved, numbering in around 30 or so teenagers.

What happened next is still debatable as there are no trustworthy accounts of what happened. What we do know is that all 30 members of the football team sustained heavy injuries, mainly ranging from broken arms and legs to being completely unconscious. John was unharmed, quietly finishing his lunch when the teachers found him.

There were no more incidents to speak of afterwards.

On his 18th birthday, in 2172, he enlisted into the Alliance Military.

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE

During his boot camp, then Gunnery Chief Harlan Ellison put his name forward to become a member of the N7 Special Forces. Upon graduating from the N7 Special Forces program, Shepard's first major posting was on Elysium in 2175 as a Serviceman 2nd Class under the command of Major Troy Paris, upon the Major's request.

In 2176, a large force of mercenaries and pirates attacked Elysium in what would be known as the Skyllian Blitz.

Shepard was ashore during this time and managed to rally the ground forces of the settlement and fought off wave after wave of raiders. Eyewitnesses claim that one time, he single handedly fought off the raiders after a breach in the wall, to which he also single handedly defended and sealed.

After the battle, Shepard was awarded the Star of Terra for his heroism and bravery, and was promoted to Chief. It is still unknown what happened to Major Paris, though it is reported that he was shot by a stray bullet and killed.

In 2177, the Alliance managed to track several pirates to the moon of Torfan, where a large Batarian underground base was stationed. The Alliance fleet began its assault on Torfan, though the assault was essentially wasted on the surface. Shepard, however, brought with him a corps of elite ground troops (most of which were men and women who defended Elysium) and plunged into the heart of the enemy base.

Over 75% of his corps was killed in the close-quarters of the base, but he managed to penetrate the heart of the enemy base. No slaver made it out of Torfan alive. For his deeds, Shepard was promoted to Lieutenant Commander.

In 2178, all contact was lost with the pioneer team on Akuze. Shepard was sent with a team of 50 marines to investigate and look for survivors.

During the night, thresher maws suddenly attacked the team. Since this was the first time in Alliance history that any have, the team had no idea what they were getting into. The team was effectively wiped out.

The Alliance responded to a distress signal 2 days after the incident. The team sent in discovered a severely wounded Shepard. The team was then attacked by a thresher maw, which they were able to kill.

After nearly a year of intensive care (due to massive amounts of acid corroding his body), Shepard was ready for active duty again. He was sent to take down a rogue biotic with L2 implants that was holding a family hostage. During this mission, Shepard showed brash and uncontrolled actions that deemed him a danger to himself and others.

Shepard was sent to Dr. Helena Chakwas for a psychological evaluation. Her report is posted below, which, according to Chakwas, shows that Shepard is more than ready for active duty.

In 2183, he was selected to join the crew of the Normandy.

EVALUATION BY DR. HELENA CHAKWAS

My first thoughts of Commander John Shepard when he first walked into my office for his psychological evaluation, was that of a reclusive, and harsh soldier. I had read his particularly short history (record breaking even, given what we know and don't know of him), and was almost determined to find out more about him. He was intriguing.

I was largely unsuccessful.

He only states what is already common knowledge and any attempts on my part to learn otherwise is met with failure. The Commander seems to genuinely not want to talk about his past. Whether this is because of trauma or because he finds it funny to impede my efforts, I haven't been able to distinguish.

Shepard does, however, have a strange sense of humor. His jokes mainly come from overuse of sarcasm, though he does seem to like to poke fun at people's flaws. Whether he does this intentionally to make himself feel better, or if this is his way of connecting with people I haven't been able to figure out. Though, we do seem to connect better in this way.

He is not stupid though. Far from it. The fact that he skipped nearly all of elementary school and most of middle school should be fact enough alone. His IQ level is quite high as is his perception and thinking abilities, nearly bordering on the thought processes of most biotics, though Shepard does not show any signs of being one.

His intuition allows him to almost instantly pick out the flaws or even the strengths of people and use that to his advantage. A sudden twitch of the eyebrow and he can guess quite accurately what you were thinking. I can see how he was able to persuade the people at Elysium to fight on after their commanding officer, Troy Paris, was killed. When I mentioned his name, he appeared to smile a little. I believe he knows what happened to his commanding officer, but he didn't dwell on the topic for very long. He only said it was very 'ironic.'

He has a rather fatalistic view of the world. Through everything I've seen during the war and the battles afterwards, I've never seen someone quite like him. I asked what he thought of death and he looked me in the eye and said "I couldn't care less if I died right now." He said it like it was a matter of fact. He continued by saying that people died all the time and that his death wouldn't matter one way or the other. Sure, he would fight on and on but if he was killed, so be it.

This is curious because this is a quote I've heard many times when dealing with patients of depression, but I've never heard it said from someone who is obviously not depressed in the slightest. To the best of my knowledge, of course.

He also seems to find a lot of things annoying, but mostly when people talk to him about things he doesn't really feel or care to talk about. So he pretty much resents me. But on some level, he doesn't seem to mind. He likes to ask me about my day and my life. But when I turn it over to him, I begin to annoy him.

This leads me to believe that underneath his gruff and harsh exterior lays a good-natured and well-mannered person who generally cares for other people. Why he finds a need to protect himself from others is yet to be determined, but hopefully, I will be able to get him to trust me enough for him to open up.

However, Shepard is a soldier through and through. He will do what is necessary to get the job done, regardless of his past. Or maybe because of it. Perhaps he feels that he must push himself forward to move on. It seems to be working so far.

END OF PERSONNEL FILE #1567-2937

Captain David Anderson leaned away from the computer and looked at the other person seated across from him in the conference room. Admiral Steven Hackett continued to read the personnel history that Anderson just finished, though Anderson was sure that he had read a dozen times already. Anderson himself had practically memorized the damn thing. But the ambassador needed his professional opinion, and for that, Anderson needed to know Shepard like his own son, inside and out.

Hackett finally leaned back and glanced at Anderson.

"Well," he sighed. "What do you think?"

"As far as I can tell," Anderson replied. "He's the only person worthy of a job like this."

Hackett nodded his head in agreement.

"You think Udina will agree?" Hackett asked.

Anderson paused. He wasn't entirely sure if Udina would agree with their choice. He never seemed to agree with anything Anderson said, for that matter. But this was different.

"He'll have to," Anderson said. "There's no one else with quite a history."

Hackett sighed, and then nodded his head.

"Where the hell is that guy, anyway?" Hackett asked under his breath.

As if on cue, Ambassador Donnel Udina walked into the conference room carrying a portfolio. Probably carrying a printed copy of Shepard's history. Without a word, he placed the portfolio down and sat in the empty chair. He scooted in and leaned forward, almost like he was about to do business.

"So," he began. "What about Shepard? He's earthborn, but no record of his family."

"Doesn't have one," Anderson replied. "He was raised on the streets. Learned to look after himself."

"At such a young age, too," Hackett pointed out.

"Do we have any idea what happened during his childhood?" Udina asked.

"No," Anderson replied hesitantly. Anderson had hoped futilely that Udina wouldn't bring this up, but it was bound to happen. "He never talks about it. And when people ask him about it, he either ignores them or gives them one-word answers. Even to the psychiatrists and his friends." He would also get extremely angry, but Anderson left this out.

"Can we trust a man who keeps secrets?" Udina asked.

"Everybody has secrets," Anderson told them. "Maybe something traumatic happened that he doesn't wish to talk about. But that never hindered Shepard from doing his job."

Udina had to live with that answer. He opened the portfolio and flipped through the pages.

"At age 10, he was able to purchase a ticket onto the _MSV Scorpio_. That shows an almost unnatural amount of maturity for someone of that age," Udina commented.

"That has helped him throughout his entire life," Anderson told him. "From the Skyllian Blitz to Akuze."

"True," Udina agreed. "But then came Mindoir."

"Shepard's a survivor," Anderson said. "Always has been."

"True," Hackett agreed. "But, this is on a whole other scale. Who knows what he saw that night."

"We've all seen the things that happen during war," Anderson said. "Shepard accepts it and moves on. Nothing holds him back."

"It's a good thing that alliance patrol came along when it did," Hackett remarked.

"I'm more concerned with the rumor that he was seen with a pistol in his hand," Udina said.

"That's never been proven," Anderson interjected. Udina nodded.

"He then spent the rest of his young adult life under the care of XO Hannah Shepard, before he was enlisted into the Alliance military," Udina continued. "A rather strange incident concerning his classmates. But after that, he seemed to calm down some. Ms. Shepard must have had something to do with that."

"That incident could easily be explained by his difficulty adjusting," Hackett noted. "With such an…interesting background, it's no wonder he acted as he did. But he moved on. Joined the Alliance and was accepted into the N7 program. He proved himself during the Blitz. Lead an entire settlement into battle _and_ held enemy attack until reinforcements arrived."

"He's the only reason Elysium is still standing," Anderson replied.

"We can't question his courage," Udina said. "I'm more concerned with the events that transpired on Torfan and Akuze. Messy business."

"Practically got his entire platoon wiped out during his assault on the base, " Hackett said.

"But he got the job done," Anderson finished. "Thanks to him, there hasn't been any slavers attacking our colonies for almost 3 years."

"He saw his whole unit devoured by thresher maws," Hackett continued. "Just looking at his entire history, it's amazing he hasn't suffered a mental breakdown by now. But he could have some serious emotional scarring. Plus, there's Dr. Chakwas's report."

"Every soldier has scars," Anderson told him. "Shepard has never let his past affect his judgment or his duty."

"From what I've gathered from Dr. Chakwas's report," Hackett continued. "He may not be doing this out of a sense of duty."

"Whatever his reasons, he gets the job done," Anderson said, respecting Hackett's honesty.

There was a pause.

"Humanity needs a hero," Anderson tried to drive that point in. "And Shepard's the best we've got."

Another pause followed as Udina reviewed the profile.

"Is this the kind of person we want protecting the galaxy?" Udina asked without looking up.

"It's the only person who _can_ protect the galaxy," Anderson answered. Udina nodded and sighed.

"I'll make the call."

\::/::\::/::\::/

_Playing playlist entitled "John's Oldies"…_

_Selecting random track…_

_Track #291: "_Hand of Sorrow" _by_ "Within Temptation"_ from_ "The Heart of Everything (2007)"

_Playing track…_

"_The child without a name grew up to be the hand,  
To watch you, to shield you or kill on demand,  
The choice he'd made he could not comprehend,  
His blood a grim secret they had to command,_

_He's torn between his honor and the true love of his life,  
He prayed for both but was denied,_

_So many dreams were broken and so much was sacrificed,  
Was it worth the ones we loved and had to leave behind?  
So many years have past, who are the noble and the wise?  
Will all our sins be justified?_

_The curse of his powers tormented his life,  
Obeying the crown was a sinister price,  
His soul was tortured by love and by pain,  
He surely would flee but the oath made him stay,_

_He's torn between his honor and the true love of his life,  
He prayed for both but was denied,_

_So many dreams were broken and so much was sacrificed,  
Was it worth the ones we loved and had to leave behind?  
So many years have past, who are the noble and the wise?  
Will all our sins be justified?_

_Please forgive me for the sorrow, for leaving you in fear,  
For the dreams we had to silence, that's all they'll ever be,  
Still I'll be the hand that serves you,  
Though you'll not see that it is me,_

_So many dreams were broken and so much was sacrificed,  
Was it worth the ones we loved and had to leave behind?  
So many years have past, who are the noble and the wise?  
Will all our sins be justified?"_

The doorbell rang and Lieutenant Commander John Shepard opened his eyes. Groaning to himself, he plucked the headphones from his ears, the song's soft, mournful piano ending still ringing through them. Shepard didn't bother to turn off his Omni-Tool as he dragged himself out of bed, letting the glow from the holographic projection light the way. His head aching and pounding, he didn't even bother to find a pair of pants as he slowly made his way to the front door of the apartment, running his hand through his short, black hair. It always felt odd and he would prefer to have his hair back to a comfortable length of past his eyes, but the Alliance "frowned" at those kinds of things.

Regardless, he made his way sleepily to the door. It took him awhile to find the button but he did, allowing him to open the door slightly. The bright sunlight reflecting off the nearby buildings entered the room and blinded him for the moment.

"Lieutenant Commander John Shepard?" the man asked.

"You better have a damn good reason for waking me up at…what time is it?" Shepard asked, looking around.

"It's 12:35 Local Time, sir," the man replied.

"Whatever," Shepard groaned, rubbing the sand from his eyes. "Who are you?"

"Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, sir," the man saluted sharply. "I've been ordered by Captain Anderson to pick you up."

"What now?" Shepard blinked.

"Sir, you've been assigned as the Executive Officer of the Normandy," Kaidan said, raising an eyebrow. "Today is the Normandy's shakedown run, sir. It departs in three hours."

"Ah, shit," Shepard groaned. He had completely forgotten. "All right, give me a minute."

"Of course, sir," Kaidan nodded.

"Come on in, I guess," Shepard motioned for him to enter.

Kaidan entered the apartment and took off his hat. He wore his dress uniform with his rank on his shoulders and some medals he won on his chest. It was mainly for show off the crew during shakedown; orders from the higher-ups. With pale brown eyes, he took a look around at the residence of John Shepard and his mother, Staff Commander Hannah Shepard.

"You want something to drink or eat?" Shepard asked from the bathroom.

"No, thank you," Kaidan replied.

"Well if you do, there should be some crap in the fridge you can eat," Shepard stated, turning on the shower. "Make yourself at home. I won't take long."

Kaidan sat down on the couch and turned on the extranet, trying to find the news.

"Today marks the inauguration of the Alliance frigate, the _SSV Normandy_," the reporter was saying. "The Normandy has been hailed by many to be one of the most advanced vessels in Citadel Space. Although details of the vessels' technological capabilities have been deemed classified by the Alliance military, many inside sources have confirmed that the ship's technology may even be more advanced than those in the asari fleet.

"The Normandy is under the command of Captain David Anderson. Born in London, 2137, he soon became a decorated military officer who served with distinction during the First Contact War. He was also one of the first to graduate from the N7 marine program. The Executive Officer of the Normandy is also a decorated war hero by the name of Lieutenant Commander John Shepard, son of Staff Commander Hannah Shepard, the executive officer on the dreadnaught Kilimanjaro. Commander John Shepard is most notably known as the man responsible for the defense of Elysium, the oldest Alliance colony in the Skyllian Verge, an act which earned him the Star of Terra."

"Plenty of prestigious people on this ship, Carolyn!" the anchor of the news-station said to his partner with the fakest smile Kaidan had ever seen. Kaidan turned it off, shaking his head.

"Anything good on the net?" Shepard called from the bathroom.

"Just news on the Normandy, sir," Kaidan replied.

"Anything about how it was co-developed with the Turian Hierarchy with financing from the Citadel?" Shepard asked.

"You already know the answer to that, sir," Kaidan said, shaking his head. "The public wouldn't really like how the turians helped build our ship."

"Ah, well," Shepard chuckled and emerged from the bathroom, dressed in his finest military suit. It wasn't really put on correctly though, with half his shirt untucked and his tie loose. Shepard didn't seem to notice. "Can't blame them. People still hate the turians for First Contact. Or the 'Relay 314 Incident,' as the turians call it."

"I guess not," Kaidan replied.

"What do you think about them?" Shepard asked. Kaidan looked at him and Shepard seemed genuinely interested.

"I think that turians can have the same emotions as us," Kaidan replied. "I think we as individuals have a lot in common." Shepard stared at him for a moment, analyzing him.

"Good point," Shepard said, nodding. "I personally don't care on way or the other. Turian, asari, salarian, volus, elcor, hanar, krogan, quarian; all the same to me, really."

"What about batarians?" Kaidan dared to ask. Shepard thought for a moment.

"Don't really hold much love for them," Shepard stated, scratching the back of his neck. "But it's not because of racism. It's mainly because every time I meet one, they try to shoot me in the head."

Kaidan couldn't tell if he should be laughing or sympathizing.

Shepard picked up his pack, containing his armor and his weapons, as well as some personal affects. Hoisting it onto his shoulder, he looked at Kaidan again.

"Shall we?" Shepard asked.

Kaidan nodded and they exited the apartment. Shepard blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the light of the star. He locked the door to his apartment and began walking down the pathway towards the floating car, with Kaidan not far behind.

"You were my partner during that whole lunatic L2 business not too long ago, weren't you?" Shepard asked.

"Yes I was, sir," Kaidan replied. "Messy stuff."

"Yeah," Shepard said softly. "Messy."

"Oh, there is one thing the Captain wanted you to be aware of," Kaidan spoke up. "He would have contacted via extranet, but with so many people tapped into the line, he thought it best we not have any eavesdroppers. We had an…how did the Captain put it…an 'authorized stowaway.' A turian, to be exact. They had to sneak him in through the cargo so the press wouldn't blow it out of proportion and begin spouting Post-First Contact paranoia."

"And why would a turian want to be on our ship?" Shepard asked.

"Well, he's a Spectre," Kaidan said bluntly. Shepard stopped in his tracks.

"A Spectre?" Shepard asked incredulously. "As in 'I am authorized by the Citadel to do whatever the hell I need to do to protect galactic peace?' _That_ Spectre?"

"The very same," Kaidan nodded.

"Any idea why?" Shepard asked. Kaidan merely shrugged.

"The Normandy is a ship built with financial backing from the Citadel," Kaidan suggested. "They could have sent a Spectre to see if their money was put into good use."

Shepard said nothing. That idea was entirely plausible. Hell, it might have even been correct. But then why did he have a bad feeling in his gut? He had learned a long time ago to trust his gut feelings over his head. But he kept his suspicions to himself as it was too early to make assumptions.

"Well, buddy, we'll find out soon enough," Shepard said, moving towards the car. "Let's just go with it, smile for a few pictures and hopefully, I won't have to punch anyone in the face along the way."

"Outstanding," Kaidan said simply.

They entered the car and sped off towards the docks. Shepard gazed out at Arcturus Station. This shakedown mission was beginning to feel…off. A Spectre on board? At the last possible minute? Things just didn't add up. But he knew Captain Anderson. He knew he wouldn't have done this without good reason. He would just have to trust that the Captain would tell him that reason before it was too late.

_Trust only movement. The universe…life happens at the level of events, not words. Trust movement._

Shepard blinked at the window as he remember the quote from the man who would probably be the closest thing to a father he would ever have. It was relevant, he thought.

"Dammit," Shepard muttered.

"What?" Kaidan asked.

"I should have had a smoke before I got into the car," Shepard said plainly.

"You could have one when we arrive," Kaidan said.

"Yeah, then I'll have some P.R. prick hounding me about 'not setting a good example for the children' or something," Shepard said shaking his head. "No, once I got into the car, it was too late to indulge in the little pleasures. Once I get to the Normandy, it'll probably be too late to turn back."

"Anxious?" Kaidan asked.

"No," Shepard admitted. He looked at Kaidan and smirked, his deep blue eyes catching the glint from the distant star.

"Excited."

* * *

I have redone this entire chapter. Or at least, added the entire last few pages. I thought it was necessary that we get a clear picture of Shepard's personality before we actually start the journey. It was also necessary to get the setting down so people aren't lost. It may be unnecessary in the end because most who are reading this know the Mass Effect universe anyhow. Oh well.

Enjoy.


	2. Chapter 1: Briefing

Sorry, this took so long; I wanted to document a rather large portion of the game. That and winter break came around and I went down to Florida and stayed at my sister's for Christmas and just hectic. But you shouldn't be surprised. I'm not updating this regularly or anything, its just for kicks and giggles. I won't make any promises, but I do hope to entertain people with this.

I started off just taking things word for word of what they say but that turned into quite a hassle so I'll just do the dialogue from memory and occasionally consult youtube.

So, yeah, this is mostly just dialogue and talking and introducing you to my version of Commander John Shepard.

Thanks for the reviews so far and enjoy.

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

In the year 2148, explorers on Mars discovered the remains of an ancient spacefaring civilization. In the decades that followed, these mysterious artifacts revealed startling new technologies, enabling travel to the furthest stars. The basis for this incredible technology was a force that controlled the very fabric of space and time.

They called it the greatest discovery in human history.

The civilizations of the galaxy call it…

MASS EFFECT

«0.01: _SSV Normandy: _Command Deck»

«or Briefing»

Glancing out the window, Lieutenant Commander John Shepard saw the planet Earth rotating below. For the longest while, the Earth held his gaze, either because Shepard didn't want to look at anything else, or couldn't. It was hard to tell.

Unwanted memories were annoying as hell.

Not that there was anything else to look at here in the living quarters of the frigate. Just hard, colorless steel. It was all so enclosed.

So claustrophobic.

Shepard shot down those thoughts before they ever surfaced. Not now. He had a mission and he needed to focus on it. He couldn't afford to

Soon enough, the _SSV Normandy_ turned and the Earth pulled away from view. Shepard finally relaxed and ran a hand through his short cut, black hair. Damn, he wanted a cigarette. But, this was a no smoking flight, and Shepard didn't feel like having to explain himself to a bunch of suits.

Presently, he got back to what he was doing, which was putting on his red Level X Colossus medium armor. Sure, it wasn't standard alliance issue, but that was necessarily a bad thing. It had the best protection from most attacks, the highest amount of shields and protected him from sabotage and biotic attacks rather well. It also allowed for ample movement, something that has always helped him in the past.

The past.

Shepard unconsciously touched the deep scar that ran down through the middle of his right eye. He always had trouble with that eye. It wasn't blind, but it couldn't see as well as his other one. It still passed Alliance examination, and it wouldn't get any worse than it was. But still…

Shepard shook his head and continued putting on his armor. He didn't have time for this. He had to focus on his mission.

He pulled his kinetic padded pants up and stood up at the same time. The things felt like rubber mixed with leather. Not the most comfortable thing in the world, but slowly, one got used to it. Shepard could barely feel it. Besides the small aching in his joints and muscles, he could barely feel a thing.

When had the aching started?

Shepard knew the answer, but didn't dwell on it. He had a job to do.

Shepard walked onto the second level of the Normandy and almost bumped into someone. He gently pushed the young soldier out of the way. Jenkins, he thought his name was. He didn't really care. He looked green, plus he was young. Still full of ideas of grandeur, and glory. Still thought battle was fun. He was in for a surprise.

He continued to walk, even thought he knew Jenkins was giving him a look of awe, excitement, and admiration. He hated that look.

He passed by Navigator Pressly who nodded towards him. Shepard nodded back. He liked Pressly. He was a good man and a good navigator. Plus, he was with Shepard during the Skyllian Blitz. Not on the first day, but he came with the _SSV Agincourt_ as a reinforcement vessel. They got along quite well, even though he was a higher-ranking officer than Shepard was at the time.

He continued to walk down the long tube-like hallway lined with monitors and people. Up ahead was the cockpit where Joker was piloting. He also saw someone else. Nihlus Kryik, a turian soldier sent by the Citadel council.

A Spectre.

Shepard didn't really care that Nihlus was a turian, despite the great animosity between turians and Humans since the First Contact War. Just because of how a species decided to act, doesn't mean any individual should be punished for it.

As he neared the cockpit, he heard Joker's voice.

"Relay is hot. Acquiring approach vector."

Shepard knew they were getting closer to the relay. He could see it in the window in front of him. He always admired the Mass Relays. They were enormous stations that glowed a bright blue light from the Mass Accelerator at its core.

Shepard walked up to the cockpit and stopped next to Nihlus, who took note of him then concentrated on the relay.

"All stations secure for transit. Board is green."

Here it comes.

"Approach run has begun."

Soon enough, they would be running at speeds faster than the speed of light. What would take thousands of years to travel, now only took hours. Shepard liked the convenience.

"Hitting the relay in three…two…one…"

"Here we go," Shepard muttered to himself. Nihlus barely glanced at him.

The _SSV Normandy_ was shot out like a gun and propelled through the vastness of space.

\::/::\::/::\::/

"Thrusters…check. Navigation…check. Internal emission sink engaged. All systems online. Drift…just under 1500 K," Joker read through the procedure like he was reading a book. They were already 15 minutes out from initial burst.

"1500 is good," Nihlus commented. "You're captain will be pleased." With that, he turned and walked away. Shepard glanced over his shoulder and watched the turian leave. Shepard didn't understand it. Something about the way that turian acted seemed different. Shepard would often times find him looking at his direction. Analyzing him. Studying him. Shepard knew that the Spectre was here for a different reason than just seeing off the Normandy's maiden voyage. He just hoped he would find out what before it was too late.

"I hate that guy," Joker stated. It was a statement of fact.

"Nihlus gave you a complement," said the dark haired lieutenant sitting in the co-pilot's chair. "So…you hate him."

Shepard looked over at Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko. Even though they were on the same squad, Shepard never really talked to Kaidan. He usually keeps to himself. But who could blame him; he was in fact a Biotic.

And Biotic's didn't really have pretty history.

"You remember to zip up your jumpsuit on the way out of the bathroom? That's good!" Joker vented. "I just jumped us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pinhead. So that's incredible! Besides, Spectres are trouble. I don't like having him onboard. Call me paranoid."

Shepard chuckled inwardly. He had to admit; Joker was one of the best pilots in the Alliance fleet. But he did have a problem with that tongue of his.

"You're paranoid," Kaidan said exasperated. "The Council helped fund this project. They have a right to send someone to keep an eye on their investment."

"Yeah, that is the _official_ story," Joker said sarcastically. "Only an idiot believes in the official story."

"They don't send a Spectre on a shakedown run," Shepard muttered, mostly to himself. They were told that this would be a routine test to see if everything on the new ship was operating at peak capacity. Shepard thought that that was all it would be until Nihlus came on board. Kaidan's theory would have made more sense if the Council had sent a member from Citadel Security with them.

But instead, they got a Spectre, a special operative who answer to no laws except those given by the members of the Citadel Council themselves. Shepard often dreamed of having that kind of power, but only in frustration of having to do some seemingly arbitrary thing in order to get to the real objective. But this wasn't what bothered him. It was the fact that an actual Spectre on board. Plus, Nihlus seemed a bit edgy, if Shepard study of turians proved correct. Turians had different actions for their emotions. What might look like a turian having an itch might actually be a turian shaking with rage and anger.

"So, there's more going on here than we rea-" Joker began, but a voice on the communication channel cut him off.

"Joker, status report." It was the voice of Captain David Anderson, captain of the _SSV Normandy_ and Shepard's commanding officer. Shepard talked to him a few times before they left. He liked him. He's seen combat and knew how to deal with stress and pressure pretty well. Shepard respected him.

Then again, Anderson did tend to get on Shepard's nerves. Not because of anything he did, necessarily. He just hated taking orders in general.

"Just cleared the Mass Relay, captain," Joker reported. "Stealth systems engaged. Every thing looks solid."

"Good," Anderson answered. "Find a comm. buoy and link us into the network. I want mission reports relayed back to Alliance Brass _before_ we reach Eden Prime."

"Aye, aye, captain," Joker saluted. Then he added in a slightly sarcastic tone, "Better brace yourself, sir. I think Nihlus is headed your way."

"He's already here, Lieutenant," Anderson snapped. Joker closed his eyes and shook his head, while Kaidan chuckled. Shepard felt like doubling over with laughter, but he quickly controlled himself. "Tell Commander Shepard to meet me in the comm. room for a debriefing." And with a beep, he was disconnected.

"You get that commander?" Joker asked.

"Thanks a lot, Joker," Shepard muttered sarcastically. "You pissed the captain off, and now I have to pay for it. Really appreciate it." He turned away with a fake exasperated sigh.

"Don't blame me!" Joker said defensively. "The captain's always in a bad mood."

"Only when he's talking to you Joker," Kaidan remarked.

Shepard knew that Joker wasn't to blame for the captain's agitation. Still, it was fun to mess with people. But he had to admit; the captain seemed very upset about something. And if the captain's upset, then that means something bad just happened. And Shepard had a feeling that it didn't bode well for him or the crew in the long run.

He needed a cigarette.

As he walked down the hallway, he overheard Pressly in a rather heated discussion with Chief Engineer Adams over something. Probably Nihlus. Shepard knew that Pressly didn't like turians in general, basically because of his family history in the First Contact War.

"He's a Spectre, they're always on a mission," Adams was saying.

"And we're getting dragged, right along with him!" Pressly exclaimed.

"Settle down, Pressly," Shepard interrupted playfully. "You're gonna give yourself an ulcer."

Pressly quickly turned of the comm. channel, spun around, and saluted sharply.

"Commander!" Pressly exclaimed. "I didn't-"

"Calm down, Pressly," Shepard told him. It was fun to mess with people. "So, what's going on?"

"Nothing, sir, just having a chat with Adams down in engineering," Pressly answered. But something was bothering him.

"Pressly, we've known each other for what, 5 years?" Shepard told him. "I think we're past titles. Now what's bothering you?"

"Well, John, something's odd about this mission," Pressly told him. "I've got a feeling like we're not being kept in the loop, or at least that we're out on false pretences. I don't like it. Feels just like Elysium."

Shepard nodded slowly. It did feel like Elysium. Knowing something horrifying is coming around the corner, but having to wait for it to come. The waiting. He sighed.

"You think the brass is holding out on us?" Shepard whispered, stepping a little bit closer. No need for anyone else to hear.

"If all we're meant to do is test out the stealth systems, why is Captain Anderson in charge? And then there's Nihlus. You don't send a Spectre and a war hero of Captain Anderson's caliber on a do-nothing mission. Nihlus and the Captain are treating this mission a little to seriously. I don't like it," Pressly wiped his forehead. Shepard nodded.

"Captain's waiting for me," Shepard told him. "I'll try to find out what's going on."

"Good luck, John," Pressly replied. They clasped hands in a shake and Shepard walked on.

Shepard had met Pressly during the Skyllian Blitz and they've been acquaintances ever since. Acquaintances, not friends. Sure they talked whenever they could, and shared a couple of beers, but that was the extent of their relationship. Shepard liked it that way.

This way, nothing bad or unexpected showed up to ruin it.

Shepard walked on. By the door to the comm. room, he saw the annoying green soldier he passed before having a chat with Doctor Chakwas, the Chief Medical Officer assigned to the Normandy.

Chakwas. Goddammit.

Chakwas was his psychological evaluator after Akuze. She was especially…prying. He could say inquisitive of his past but that didn't even cut the surface of it. Shepard also noticed that her name was an anagram for "hacksaw." He thought it was appropriate. She liked to cut into his past like one. Still, Shepard respected her, just not when she became the Doctor.

"I grew up on Eden Prime, doc," Jenkins was saying. "It's not the kind of place Spectres visit. There's something the captain's not telling us."

"That's crazy!" Chakwas said incredulously. "The captain's in charge here, he wouldn't take orders from a Spectre!"

"Not his choice, doc. Spectres work above the law. They can do almost anything, kill anyone in their way!" Chakwas rolled her eyes.

"You watch too many spy vids, Jenkins!" she scoffed. Jenkins looked up and noticed Shepard. He saluted sharply.

"What do you think, Commander? We won't be staying on Eden Prime long, will we? I'm itching for some real action!"

There was the attitude. The one that annoyed him so much.

"I sincerely hope you're kidding, Corporal. You're real action usually ends up with me patching you up in the infirmary!" Chakwas told him.

"You need to calm down, Corporal!" Shepard told him sternly. "A good soldier stays cool, even under fire."

"Sorry, Commander, but this waiting's killing me! I've never been on a mission like this before! Not one with a Spectre on board!" Jenkins exclaimed.

"Just treat this like every assignment you've had and everything will work out," Shepard sighed. Here comes the headache.

"Easy for you to say!" Jenkins exclaimed. "You've proven yourself during the Blitz, on Torfan and Akuze! Everyone knows what you can do! This is my big chance. I need to show the brass what I can do!"

"This isn't about personal glory, corporal!" Shepard snapped. "We have a job to do. Don't do anything stupid to mess it up!"

"Don't worry, sir!" Jenkins said excitedly, yet cautiously. "I'm not going to screw this up!"

"See that you don't," Shepard said sternly. He glanced at Chakwas, who looked him in the eye. Shepard quickly looked at Jenkins. "You're from Eden Prime, aren't you Jenkins? What's it like?"

"It's very peaceful. They've been very careful with development, so you don't have any city noise or pollution. My parents lived on the outskirts of the colony. At night I used to climb up this big hill and stare across the fields back at the lights from the main _office buildings. John loved looking at the lights from the offices. With so much light pollution, you could barely see the stars in the sky. It was frustrating to know that they were there; you just couldn't see them. The lights from the offices would have to suffice. For now, at least._

_As he stared at the buildings, he felt saddened to see them slowly turn off one by one. It took awhile, but eventually, all the lights turned off. John sighed. He hated to see them go. That would mean the mission would start soon._

_He reached into his pocket and pulled out his handmade shiv that Finch gave him. 9 years old and already has his very own shiv. Would he be able to use it?_

"_John!"_

_John knew that voice. He turned with a smile on his face and_

"Commander?"

Shepard looked up and noticed that Jenkins and Chakwas were looking at with a concerned look. Chakwas was more curious.

"Commander, are you alright? You look a bit…tired," Jenkins asked. Shepard didn't answer. Instead, he looked behind him to where he thought the voice had come from. There was no one there. No one except Pressly, who was busy looking over the Galaxy Map. Nevertheless, he continued to look, but not really look.

"Commander," Chakwas began. "What are you thinking about?"

Shepard shot a hard and hateful look at the doctor. Jenkins took an almost unnoticeable step back, shocked. And scared. Chakwas met his stare with one of her own. It was not filled with hate, but it had the same power.

Shepard didn't have time for this.

"The captain's waiting for me," Shepard. He stalked off, the hateful look still on his face.

"Goodbye, Commander," he heard Chakwas's voice behind him. He nearly snarled at her.

God, where was that cigarette?

Shepard walked into the comm. room and was slightly surprised to fine Nihlus gazing over a report on Eden Prime. Slightly. The turian always seemed to be somewhere close by wherever he went. Shepard didn't let this faze him and he walked up to him.

Nihlus must have heard him coming because he turned from the report looked at him.

"Commander Shepard," Nihlus greeted him. "I was hoping you'd get here first. It would give us a chance to talk."

How surprising and completely unexpected.

"What about?" Shepard indulged incuriously.

"I'm interested in this world we're going to; Eden Prime," Nihlus said, gesturing to the report on the monitor. It showed a picture of an idyllic world with trees and plains stretching as far as the eye could see. "I hear it's quite beautiful."

Shepard noticed that Nihlus's tone suggested that he was saying this as a fact, not an observation.

"I've never actually been there," Shepard muttered. "Though I've heard people say it's a paradise."

"Yes, a paradise," Nihlus mused. "Serene. Tranquil. Safe."

He stressed the word 'safe' a little too much.

"Eden Prime has become something of a symbol for your people, hasn't it? Proof that humanity cannot only establish colonies across the galaxy, but also protect them."

He turned away from Shepard and gazed at the planet shown on the view screen.

"But how safe is it really?"

"If you've got something to say, just say it," Shepard was really annoyed now. Whatever Nihlus was doing, he was dodging the real issue. And the point he was trying to get at.

"Your people are still newcomers, Shepard," Nihlus shot back. "The galaxy can be a very dangerous place. Is the alliance truly ready for this?"

Shepard stared into Nihlus's eyes. Hard.

He heard the door open behind him and looked over to see Captain Anderson stride in.

"I think it's time we told the Commander what's really going on," Anderson told Nihlus.

"This mission is far more than a simple shakedown run," Nihlus began.

"I figured there was something that you weren't telling us," Shepard said.

"We're making a covert pick-up on Eden Prime," Anderson continued. "That's why we needed the stealth systems operational."

"I don't like being kept out in the dark, Captain," Shepard stated angrily. "That's exactly when things go straight to shit."

"I know, Commander," Anderson said. "I didn't like it either. But this came straight from the top. Information strictly on a need to know basis."

Guess Shepard had to live with that. He shrugged.

"A research team on Eden Prime unearthed some kind of…beacon," Anderson paused. "It was Prothean."

Wait, Prothean?

"I thought the Prothean's vanished 50,000 years ago," Shepard whispered, the shock still there.

"Their legacy still remains," Nihlus explained. "The Mass Relays, the Citadel, our ship drives. It's all based on Prothean technology."

"This is big, Shepard," Anderson continued. "The last time Humanity made a discovery like this, it jumped our technology forward 200 years. But Eden Prime doesn't have the facility to handle something like this. We need to bring the Beacon back to the Citadel for proper study."

"Obviously this goes beyond mere human interests, Commander," Nihlus said. "This could affect every species in Council Space."

Ah, the pieces were now falling into place.

"Thanks, I guess," Shepard muttered. He wasn't really sure if he meant it, but it was due. "Always good to have a few extra hands."

"There's more Shepard," Anderson continued. "Nihlus isn't just here for the Beacon. He's also here to evaluate you."

Oh, hell no. Shepard got enough of that from Chakwas.

"I don't need a Spectre following me everywhere I go," Shepard said.

"You're smart enough to know how things work, Commander," Anderson stated. "The Alliance has been pushing for this for a long time. Humanity wants a larger role in shaping interstellar policy. We want more say with the Citadel Council. The Spectres represent the Council's power and authority. If they accept a human into their ranks, it shows how far the alliance has come."

"I've read your review during the Blitz," Nihlus said. "Very impressive, for someone just graduated from N7. You showed a very strong willingness to take command and protect those who you only just met. You also showed a strong will to do whatever was necessary to get the job done on Torfan and a strong will to live on Akuze. Leadership, strength and survival techniques. All of these are particularly useful talents. That's why I put your name forward as a candidate for the Spectres."

"Why would a turian place a human's name forward?" Shepard asked, curious.

"Not all turians resent humanity, Shepard," Nihlus told him. "Some of us see the potential of your species. And while some believe that you are too ambitious for your own good, some believe that you can be a valuable asset to Citadel Space. I, personally, don't care that you're human, Shepard. I only care that you can do the job."

Shepard nodded. Despite all of his other qualities, Nihlus was a good soldier and …individual.

"I assume this is good for the Alliance, Captain," Shepard knew the answer, but he needed to hear it from his mouth as confirmation.

"Earth needs this, Shepard," the Captain told him. "Humanity wants to be a bigger part in shaping interstellar policies. We want more say with the Citadel Council. The Spectres represent the Council's power and authority. If they accept a human into their ranks, it'll show how far we've come. We're counting on you."

Shepard sniffed.

"I'll have to see your skills for myself," Nihlus chimed in. "Eden Prime will be the first of many missions together."

"For now, you must see that beacon gets onto the Normandy ASAP," Anderson continued.

"We're spending a lot of energy and effort for a piece of old Prothean whatever-it-is," Shepard crossed his arms. "Why?"

"It's the first piece of Prothean technology that we've discovered still intact," Nihlus answered. "All other artifacts were too badly damaged to really be of any use."

"When we discovered the Prothean ruins buried on Mars, it jumped our technology forward 200 years," Anderson said. "That was just a small data cache. What if this beacon is a weapons archive? We can't let it fall into the wrong hands."

That explained why they needed the stealth systems on the Normandy.

"Are we expecting trouble from the Terminus Systems?" Shepard asked. "Eden Prime is close to the Terminus Systems, but it is under Citadel protection. If the Terminus Systems attack, its an act of war."

"Technically yes," Nihlus agreed. "But some of the members of the Terminus Systems might be willing to start a war over this."

"True," Shepard muttered. The Terminus Systems was a collection of systems that shared a common enemy: the Citadel. But besides that, they can hardly be called a unified people. They spend so much time bickering over power that the Citadel barely paid any attention to them. But united, they can rival the citadel in power.

"Your ready Shepard?" Anderson asked.

"Get the beacon, go to the ship, and be as quiet as possible. Just give the word, Captain." Shepard reiterated.

"We should be getting close to Eden-" Anderson was cut off by a voice on the intercom.

"Captain! We've got a problem!" the voice belonged to Joker.

"What's wrong, Joker?" Anderson inquired.

"Transmission from Eden Prime, sir, you better see this," Joker answered.

"Bring it up on screen," Anderson approached the screen, along with Shepard and Nihlus.

The screen went black for a second, then a pitched battle appeared. It was a camera feed from a soldier's helmet. The screen shook and moved as the soldier moved, avoiding gunfire and explosions. It went to another soldier in white armor. The female ran up to the camera.

"Get down!" she shouted as she pushed the camera down and returned fire. The camera faced another soldier who began shouting at the camera.

"We are under attack! Taking heavy-" explosion "-fire! I repeat, heavy fire! We can't-" ricochet "-get evac! They came out of nowhere! We need-" gunshot and blood. The soldier relaying the message was shot and fell.

The camera continued to move as it looked over the other soldiers when it paused for a second. The soldier on screen lowered his gun and began to step back, eyes on the sky. The camera looked over to another soldier who was looking up as well, ignoring the gunfire around him.

The camera looked up and saw…something. It was covered in smoke and electricity was erupting from it. It hummed with artificial life as its claws opened up. The camera began to go unsteady, moving without order, glimpsing other soldiers grabbing their heads and helmets, a high-pitched squealing noise filling the screen.

Then static.

Shepard, Anderson and Nihlus stared at the white noise on the screen, taking in what just happened.

"Everything just cuts out after that," Joker's voice came on again. "No comm. traffic or anything. It just goes dead. There's nothing."

"Reverse and hold at 38.5," Anderson told him. The video reversed and went to the thing covered in smoke and electricity. Shepard got a better look at it again. It looked like a giant, mechanical squid. It wasn't claws, but tentacles that opened up, exposing a gigantic maw.

Nihlus's mandibles twitched.

"Status report," Anderson said.

"15 minutes from Eden Prime, Captain, no other Alliance ships in the area," Joker relayed.

"Take us in, Joker, fast and quiet," Anderson ordered. "This mission just got a whole lot more complicated."

"A small strike team can move quickly, without drawing attention," Nihlus suggested. "They can get to the beacon as quietly as possible."

"Suit up and head to the engineering bay," Anderson said. Nihlus turned and headed to the door without a word. Anderson turned to Shepard. "You're going in, Shepard. Get ready."

Shepard looked once more at the screen, at the mechanical…thing. He saluted sharply. "Yes sir," was all he said.

He needed a cigarette.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Shepard leaned against the wall in the engineering bay, legs crossed and arms folded. His head was tilted back against the wall, almost like he was sleeping, but his eyes were open. He always did this before a mission. Meditate.

Kaidan was helping Jenkins with his weaponry and his suit next to him. Jenkins was listening partially, but his attention was focused solely on Nihlus, who was sitting on a crate, staring at the floor.

Shepard glanced over at Nihlus then walked over. He sat down on a crate next to Nihlus and leaned back. They said nothing. Shepard got bored and took out his hunting knife from a small sleeve on his left arm and began to twirl it through his fingers. The blade itself was only about 4 inches long, making the entire knife about a half a foot long. The handle had a small semi-circular groove where his finger was meant to go, as well as a small hilt so his hand wouldn't slip if it hit something hard. Shepard loved the knife; it helped him concentrate.

"I didn't know the Alliance issued knives to their soldiers," Nihlus stated.

"They don't," Shepard said. "I've had this since I was a kid on earth."

"Think you'll need it?" Nihlus asked.

"Don' know," Shepard asked. "But multiple times, I've been within 2 feet of someone with a gun pointed at me. It's saved my butt plenty of times in my career. It's a handy thing to have."

Nihlus stuck his hand out and Shepard gave it to him, hilt first. Nihlus examined the knife and held it in his hand, careful he didn't touch the blade.

"I should get one," Nihlus remarked.

"I'll show you a good shop on the Wards next time we're at the Citadel," Shepard told him.

"Sure," Nihlus returned the knife.

"We've arrived at Eden Prime," Joker chimed in. "Activating stealth systems. Approaching Drop Point 1." Anderson approached them. Nihlus and Shepard got up and walked toward the door. Kaidan and Jenkins followed.

"You're team's the muscle in this operation, Commander," Anderson told Shepard. "Get to the beacon and get it on board ASAP."

"What about survivor's, Captain?" a voice behind Shepard asked. Shepard glanced and saw it was Kaidan. Interesting. His first thought was for civilians.

"Helping survivor's is a secondary objective," Anderson said. "The beacon's your top priority."

The engineering bay doors opened with a large amount of wind blowing through. The ground rushed below them and began to slow. Nihlus got out his shotgun and checked it again. He looked up at Shepard who gave a small, two-fingered salute. Nihlus returned it.

"Nihlus, you coming with us?" Jenkins asked.

"I move faster on my own," was all he said before he jumped off and onto the ground below. The ground than began to speed up again as Nihlus went out of sight.

"Nihlus will scout out ahead," Anderson said. "He'll relay information if anything comes up. Until then, I want radio silence."

"Ready and able, sir," Shepard said.

"The mission's yours now, Shepard. Gook luck," Anderson said.

"Approaching Drop Point 2," Joker said. The ship slowed down and lowered to the ground. Shepard looked down and cracked his neck as he rolled his head around his shoulders. After that, he cracked his knuckles and his back. Then he jumped off while taking his assault rifle out.

He landed on the ground softly into a crouch and quickly looked around with his rifle. He heard two soft thuds as Kaidan and Jenkins landed beside him, Kaidan with his pistol and Jenkins with his rifle.

The wind ruffled through the grass and the Normandy sped off. The setting sun shined off of the metal of the group's armor and weapons. Shepard waited for silence. Then he got up and put his gun away.

"Let's go," was all he said walked on, with Kaidan and Jenkins behind him. The only noise that could be heard was the sound of distant gunfire and crackling fire.


	3. Chapter 2: Through the Fire and Flames

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«0.02: Eden Prime: Drop Point Two»

«or Through the Fire and Flames»

The sun beat down on the wind-soaked plain. A Gasbag floated down across a nearby pond, paying the three soldiers little mind. The three soldiers didn't pay the floating creature any mind as well, their attention set on the burnt corpses of two unrecognizable…things. They couldn't have been humans, no matter what they looked like. Still smoking from whatever burned them, the two creatures lay on the ground, giving off the smell of death and decay and whatever smell burnt things gave off after they stopped struggling for life and merely stayed where they were, content to just die.

Shepard looked at the two things, breathed in the horrible smell, and breathed out. Okay. He glanced over his left shoulder and saw Jenkins staring at the bodies with a look of both horror and revulsion. Revulsion because of the dead corpses and horror because they may have been people he knew. This was his home, no matter what he said. He may have gone to the store with him or he may have tried to flirt with her. Now they were gone forever. And Jenkins may never know who they were.

Curious, how so many lives are touched by an individual's life, no matter how short.

"Jenkins," Shepard's booming voice knocked Jenkins out of his conscious stupor. "We won't find out what happened here if we spend the entire time staring at the dead."

Jenkins gulped, then nodded.

"Aye, aye, sir," Jenkins saluted. Kaidan patted the soldier's shoulder as Shepard moved on. Now wasn't the time to mourn the dead.

"Weapons ready," he ordered and without a second thought, Kaidan whipped out his pistol while Jenkins grabbed his assault rifle. They moved as a team up the hill to a nearby worn path.

Shepard ran forward and crouched, and the other two followed suit. Shepard raised a fist and analyzed the path ahead of him.

The path curved up a hill and was strewn across by boulders and rocks. The boulders would provide ample cover for enemies as well as themselves. What bothered Shepard was that at the top of the hill, the path turned away from another hill and disappeared behind a large boulder.

That was an obvious place for a trap. Damn.

Shepard took another glance at the path then moved his hand forward slowly.

Proceed with caution.

Jenkins moved forward in a half-crouch, half-standing position, going right up the hill. Kaidan supported him and went left, keeping an eye on the top of the hill. They slowly made their way forward, never moving unless the other move, and making sure they both knew where they were.

Shepard kept his hand near his back, by his shotgun, eyes searching everything cautiously. He saw Kaidan walking up the hill on the left hand side, while Jenkins took the right.

Shepard blinked and strained his ears.

What was that humming noise?

Three floating objects came out of hiding.

Jenkins looked up.

They opened fire on Jenkins with the guns placed on their underbellies.

Two shots tore through the air and hit Jenkins; one cut into his abdomen, through his intestines, and exited through the lower back and hit the ground.

Jenkins bent forward slowly, eyes widening, feeling heat as blood flowed out.

The second bullet cut into his left chest, bursting through the lung, and exiting through the shoulder blade, collapsing the left lung behind it.

Jenkins began to fall backwards, his body in an odd sideways U shape, feet leaving the ground.

A shot tore down the hill and entered through his cheek and out, exposing his teeth through the hole it left.

Jenkins's head shot back and his world turned upside down as he fell, feeling a cool gel try to cover his wounds.

Kaidan saw Jenkins begin to fall.

Bullets flew through the air as Jenkins fell back, passing over his head. He counted them as he fell. Three bullets.

Kaidan began to point his pistol at the two probes.

"Fuck!" Shepard cursed, grabbing his shotgun.

Jenkins fell to the ground.

Kaidan opened fire on the two probes and ducked behind a nearby boulder. Shepard ran forward into a boulder and peeked out to find Jenkins.

Was he dead?

Jenkins raised a hand to his stomach.

There was still time.

Shepard took aim and fired and saw one probe explode. He ducked back behind the rock and waited. He took another look at Jenkins.

He was trying to roll over onto his side.

"JENKINS!" Shepard shouted at him. "DO NOT MOVE!" Shepard fired another shot at the remaining two and switched to his assault rifle.

Jenkins heard the voice and looked behind him.

Kaidan reached within himself and focused. He curled his fingers around an invisible field of biotic energy, glowing blue-black and moving like fire. He shot his hand forward and the sphere of energy shot through the air; it sent the probe backwards towards the rock wall and destroyed another probe.

Jenkins saw Shepard. He recognized the face of his idol. Shepard, his role model.

Shepard fired at the remaining probe and saw three more probes join the last one. Shepard looked at Jenkins again.

Shepard growled in frustration, fired again and another probe exploded, followed by another by Kaidan.

Jenkins reached toward Shepard with his blood-covered hand. He wanted to be just like Shepard.

Shepard activated his Omni-Tool and took down the shields of the remaining two probes. Kaidan used his Biotics and warped the air around the probes. The air itself began to eat away at the metal of the probes.

Jenkins had heard of Shepard's victory at Elysium. How he held out against an entire enemy platoon single handedly.

Shepard ran forward and behind another rock cover, bullets hitting the ground as he went. Jenkins was closer now.

Kaidan moved forward as well, shooting at the probes again. He looked over at Shepard and saw that he was about 10 feet from Jenkins. He had to cover Shepard as he made his way to Jenkins.

Jenkins had heard of Shepard's prowess during the assault on Torfan, and had envied his strength.

Shepard tried to run towards Jenkins but was stopped by more bullets flying through the air. One went through Shepard's shoulder and exited through the back. Shepard could feel the cool gel underneath the suit-layer begin to close the wound as he leapt back behind cover.

Jenkins had learned of how Shepard survived against a Thresher Maw and strived to be like him.

Kaidan felt bullets deflect of his shield and used his Biotics to create a secondary barrier against them.

Shepard looked so far away to Jenkins, now. He could barely see him now. Or his bloody, outstretched hand.

Shepard fired another shot and one probe exploded.

Jenkins began to relax.

Kaidan took down the last one.

Jenkins stopped struggling.

Shepard quickly ran to Jenkins and grabbed his hand. Not caring for his discomfort, he dragged Jenkins back behind cover, in case more of those things came around. Shepard looked into the eyes of Jenkins.

He was dead.

Kaidan quickly ran to Jenkins and saw Shepard stand up. He looked down and sighed.

They were too late.

Shepard continued to stare into the lifeless eyes. Eyes that stared back in an accusing matter.

Kaidan knelt down and closed them.

"Ripped right through his shields," Kaidan whispered. "Hit his stomach. From what I can tell, the Medi-Gel tried to close the wounds, but blood was pouring out too fast and too hard through the wound. He never had a chance."

The Medi-Gel was an almost organic nano-machine that worked below the surface of the armor. If a foreign object got through the armor, then the gel would work to close the opening immediately and whatever internal wounds as well.

Sometimes, it didn't work. Shepard sighed.

"We'll make sure he gets a proper service once the mission's complete," he muttered. He looked at Kaidan. "But I need you to stay focused."

"Aye, aye, sir," Kaidan responded sharply. Shepard nodded and went up the hill, grabbing his shotgun, with Kaidan following behind him closely. There was no emotion on Shepard's face. But his eyes were too terrifying to look at.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams ran up the hill, a look of composed terror on her face. Pistol in her hand, she ran as hard and as fast as she could. She could hear the humming of the two probes behind her. She didn't know what they were, but they were shooting at her. That was all the incentive she needed.

A bullet hit her shield, causing her to stumble. She fell into a roll and came up, gun up to face level, and aimed. She fired two shots and two probes exploded, spraying metal parts on the ground.

Ashley squinted under the glare of the sun. She could see two human-shaped beings working on something. She knew they weren't humans, whatever they were. One of the beings moved and she could see what they were working on.

A helpless human farmer was trapped under the claws of those…things. They worked him onto a machine and held him there.

Ashley quickly picked up her gun and aimed again. She wasn't going to just stand here and let those things-

A metal spike came from the machine and tore through the farmer's body, lifting him high into the air. Blood burst from the wound, then trickled down the metal towards the ground. More dripped from the mouth of the farmer as he twitched again.

And again.

Then was still, blood still dripping on the ground.

Ashley's mouth hung open. They didn't teach her how to handle this during basic.

One of the creatures turned in her direction.

Ashley ran behind a nearby boulder and whipped out her rifle, gulping silently.

Were the following?

She heard movement coming towards her.

Yes, and they were close.

She brought the rifle to her eye and poised on the edge of springing.

They took a few steps closer.

She held her breath.

A sound behind her brought her attention. She spun around and was face to face with a gleaming flashlight, assault rifle pointed at her.

It beeped almost excitedly.

It began to squeeze the trigger.

A shot, a flash of light and the creature's flashlight head exploded, spilling microchips and machine parts on the boulder.

She heard another shot and heard a loud thump. Spinning, she saw the other dead creature, head in disarray, still twitching as sparks flew from his "neck." She spun again to where the shots came from, gun at ready, knees bent. Were they friendly?

Down the hill came a man in red Colossus armor, seemingly uncaring that Ashley was pointing a gun at him. Leaning against his shoulder was a sniper rifle, and a powerful one at that. As he came closer, Ashley recognized him. Of course it was him, his face was plastered on every vid, and they taught of his skill in basic now.

Commander John Shepard.

She relaxed and placed the assault rifle back on her back. Shepard did the same with his sniper rifle. She noticed another man trailing behind him but kept her attention on the Hero of Elysium, Torfan and Akuze.

"Thanks for your help, sir," she breathed and saluted. "I didn't think I was going to make it."

Shepard looked her over and took a look around, making sure there weren't any hostiles. Seeing none, he sat down with a loud sigh, and rolled his neck, creating many loud cracks. Ashley and Kaidan stared at him, both in confusion. Ashley, slowly, put her hand back down to her side.

"Your name?"

It took a moment before Ashley realized that Shepard was talking to her. On the vids, Shepard always looked heroic and strong. Seeing him in person, he seemed much more relaxed and aloof almost. It was strange.

"Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams, sir, of the 220," she saluted once again. "You the person in charge here, sir?" She nearly bit her tongue. Of course he was. He was Commander Shepard!

Shepard stood up again and nodded, done catching his breath. A soldier had to take a break whenever it appeared. No matter how short.

"You hurt?" he asked.

"A few scrapes and burns, nothing serious," she replied. She sighed. "Oh man. We were patrolling the perimeter when the attack hit. We tried to double back to the base, but we were cut down by an ambush. I've been fighting for my life ever since."

Shepard looked her up and down and agreed. She didn't look to good, doubled over from exhaustion. Shepard reached behind his back and took his canteen and tossed it to her, seeing that she had lost her own. She nodded her thanks and took a gulp, and tossed it back. Shepard handed it over to Kaidan, who politely refused. Shepard still tossed it to him. Kaidan realized that he wasn't being polite; it was a silent order. Gratefully, Kaidan took a small sip and handed it back. Shepard took it without looking and put it back on his belt.

"Where's the rest of your unit?" Shepard asked, but he already knew the answer.

"The rest…" she started, taking a deep breath. "They weren't so lucky…that is…I think I'm the only one left…" she didn't need to say anymore.

"You did everything you could, Williams," Shepard reassured her.

"Yes sir," she wasn't entire sure of that, but she felt slightly better.

Shepard bent down and looked at the mechanical creature lying in a heap on the ground.

"Friend of yours?" he asked.

"No, we just met," Ashley replied. She remained silent as Shepard took out his knife and cut the creature down the middle exposing a glowing, mechanical inside. It seemed its 'skin' was made of some fabric, but was able to stand up against bullets. They had armor that was part of their skin. "I think they're…Geth."

"The Geth haven't been seen outside the Veil in nearly 200 years," Kaidan said, unsure. "Why are they here now?" Ashley shrugged.

"They must of come for the beacon," she ventured. "The dig site is close, just down the ravine."

"By the way," Shepard spoke up in a busied voice. "Williams, this is Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko. Alenko, Williams." They nodded to each other. Then started as they realized what they just did. Shepard took no note of this and continued to probe around inside the Geth trooper, not really looking for anything in particular. He just needed to think and cutting up a dead mechanical body seemed to do the trick as well as vent his anger over the loss of…

He had heard of the geth. They were synthetics, which was what the Council Races called a non-organic life form. The geth were also Artificial Intelligences; robots created by the Quarians as a form of cheap labor. They rebelled, inevitably and drove the quarians from their home world and into exile. They haven't been heard from since.

So, from what he could gather, the geth have come to Eden Prime to get to the beacon. It must be important since they would dare come from beyond the Perseus Veil into Citadel Space, just to go after one Prothean artifact. They had to get to it before they did.

He hoped Nihlus was all right. He had come to like the turian. But he was a Spectre; he could take care of himself.

After he was done with the body, he stood up and looked at Williams.

"We're short one man," he said. "We could use your help. That is, unless you've got other things to do." It took her a while to realize that he was joking.

"I'm your woman, sir," she said, and then cringed. That didn't sound right. That didn't sound right at all. She didn't think Shepard noticed. "It's time for payback," she muttered. That Shepard heard and took note of this. Interesting attitude.

"Well," he said. "Shall we?" Ashley nodded and followed.

They walked down the ravine, and Ashley looked over to the farmer that had been impaled on the spike by the geth. She sadly looked on and sighed. She wished she could have done something for him. He deserved a proper funeral. He deserved every bit of decency that was befitting of him. But she-

"OH GOD!" The farmer screamed. "HELP ME! ARGH! HELP ME!" He began to try to take the spike out of his body. All he succeeded in doing was causing the wound to bleed more. And his body to slide down.

Slowly.

Shepard, Kaidan, and Ashley started as the farmer on the spike began screaming. Kaidan and Ashley stood transfixed as the site rooted them to the ground. Kaidan put a hand to his mouth. He felt sick. Ashley's mouth just hung open. He was still alive.

Oh god.

"OH GOD! I CAN FEEL THEM! THEIR- THEIR- TH-THEIR INSIDE MY HEAD! INSIDE MY STOMACH! GET IT OUT GET IT OUT! ARGH!" he gurgled and screamed.

Shepard knew that he was dying. No man could survive that. He was merely running down the last energy he had.

"Any of you know how to work geth machinery?" Shepard asked. None answered, just stared, confused. "Well?" They both shook their heads.

"AHHHHHHHHAHAHAHAHHAAAHHHHHHH! JUST-JU-JUST! LET! ME! DIE! PLEASE LET ME DIE! OH GOD!"

"He's near death, correct?" he asked quietly. They both nodded, realization of why he was asking these questions dawning on them. And they knew it was the best course of action. "He will only suffer if he stays alive, right?" He reassured himself.

"MOMMA! AHAHAH! MOMMY!"

Shepard pulled out his pistol and fired.

A bullet hole appeared in the man's head. He sank and didn't move anymore.

Kaidan and Ashley stared in shock as Shepard moved on. They both looked at the ground and followed Shepard.

They had encountered no resistance as they moved down the ravine, and quietly made their way to a shrine-like area. Shepard looked around and saw nothing that looked remotely like a beacon. He looked at Ashley who was looking behind her. At the farmer.

"There was nothing you could have done," Shepard said. "He was dead. His mind just hadn't caught on yet. Better a quick and painless death, then the one waiting for him if I hadn't done what I did. And remember, _I_ was the one who did it. Not you."

Ashley looked over at him silently, respect forming in her mind. He may not have been what she expected, but he was the next best thing. And he was right. She breathed heavily.

"This is the dig site," Shepard started for her, gesturing at the site around him. Ashley looked around quickly.

"The beacon was right here. It must have been moved," she finished.

"By who? Our side, or the geth?" Kaidan asked, rubbing his temple. Another migraine coming on. Shepard took note of this.

"Hard to say," Ashley shrugged. "Maybe we'll find out more if we investigate the camps. It's close, just up the ridge." Shepard looked up the ridge.

"Think anyone got out alive?" Shepard dared to question.

"It's possible," Ashley didn't sound hopeful.

"Well let's find out," Shepard started forward when a voice prickled into his ear. It was Nihlus.

"Change of plans, Shepard," he chimed in. "There's a small spaceport up ahead. I want to check it out. I'll wait for you there."

With that, he was gone. Shepard sighed. Unexpected changes to a plan was never a good idea, unless absolutely necessary. But Nihlus should be fine. He continued forward up the ridge.

"Who was that?" Ashley asked him.

"Friend of ours," Kaidan told her. "He's scouting up ahead. You'll meet him soon enough." Ashley nodded.

They continued up the hill and began to see the burned out buildings of what remained of the camps. Shepard raised a fist and everyone crouched in ready. He looked around quickly and took out his shotgun. Everyone else took out their weapons, Ashley her assault rifle and Kaidan his pistol. Shepard moved forward and saw what he almost expected.

Three more spikes with corpses on them, but this time, they were different. They were glowing a mechanical blue and were shooting out short bursts of electricity. Shepard could see straight through into the skeleton. There was not meet or blood vessels anymore.

As he neared the front of a building, he heard a mechanical hum, and tightened.

One spike lowered as husk towards the ground.

Everyone tensed, expecting more of those troopers.

The husk began to move. He twitched and squirmed off of the point.

There it stood, arms by its side, head down.

Ashley's eyes widened.

The husk looked up at them.

"My god!" Kaidan whispered. "They're still alive!"

It screamed an inhuman yell, filled with the sound of a mechanical screech and a worn out or dead vocal chord.

"What did the geth do to them?" Ashley's voice had a hint of a miniature wail.

The husk began to run towards them, mouth opened in a never-ending scream. Behind it, the other two spikes began to lower their burden down to the ground.

"Whatever they are," Shepard shouted. "They aren't humans or organics. Take them down."

They opened fire. The sound of their screams was silenced by the sound of gunfire.

A short while later, three husks lay on the ground in front of two terrified humans and a gruff one. They all lowered their guns and stared at their work. They all knew that they had been humans once. This was the same as with the farmer. It had to be done.

It didn't make it any easier.

Shepard was the first to move. He looked over to his right and noticed that one door was locked. He saw movement inside.

Interesting.

He moved towards the door and looked at it. Ashley and Kaidan eventually followed him. Shepard activated his Omni-Tool and began to hack the door.

"You know how to hack a door?" Ashley asked incredulously.

"It's not that hard," Shepard told her.

"Where did you learn that?" Kaidan asked, curiously.

"When you live your first ten years on the streets of New York, you tend to pick up a few things," Shepard told them. The door opened and Ashley ran through assault rifle ready, followed by Kaidan, pistol held at eye level. Shepard didn't rush, guessing that whatever was hiding in this shed was friendly enough. The sound of holstering weapons confirmed his guess.

"Humans," a woman in a scientist uniform breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank the maker!"

"Hurry!" came a small, husky voice from the shadows. A short balding man came from behind her, hunched over, eyes nearly rolling to the back of his head. "Close the door! Before they come back!"

"Don't worry," Shepard reassured them. "You're safe now."

"Thank you," the woman replied. "I think we'll be alright now. It looks like everyone's gone."

"No one is safe!" the man wailed. "The age of humanity is ended! Soon only ruin and corpses will remain!"

Shepard raised an eyebrow at him, as did Kaidan.

"You're Dr. Warren," Ashley stated. "The scientist in charge of the excavation."

"Yes," she replied. "And this is Manuel, my assistant."

Manuel flinched.

Shepard stared worriedly at the man.

"What's wrong with your assistant?" Shepard dared to ask. He didn't think he wanted to know.

"Oh," Warren sighed. "Manuel has a brilliant mind, but he's always been a bit…unstable. Genius and madness are two sides of the same coin."

"Is it madness to see the destruction? To know that there is no escape? No hope?" he wailed. "I am not mad! I'm the only sane one left!"

Shepard merely raised his eyebrows. Guess that coin was landing on the madness side a little too often. His head started throbbing softly.

"I gave him an extra dose of his medicine," Warren told him. "He should be fine in a little bit." Shepard attempted to press on.

"We were told that there was a Prothean beacon here," Shepard said. "What happened to it?"

"We were getting it prepped for launch," Warren said. "So we moved it to the Spaceport this morning. It's an amazing piece of history! Remarkably well preserved! From what I could see, it seems to be part of a galaxy wide communications network, but without a full diagnostics, we may never know. It could very well be the greatest discovery humanity has every uncovered!" Her voice was getting rather excited.

"We've uncovered the harbinger of our deaths!" Manuel wailed. Yet again. "Awakened the beast! Unleashed the darkness!"

"Hush, Manuel, go lie down. You'll feel better when the medication kicks in." Manuel ignored her. Shepard tried. The throbbing was worse.

"What can you tell me of the attack?" Shepard tried to press on yet again. "Did you see anything?"

"No, sorry," Warren said. "We were inside when the attack hit, packing up the camp. But I could tell it was the geth. The way they sounded, it wasn't human. We could hear the battle outside. Screaming. Gunfire. Then everything went quiet. We just sat there, too afraid to move. Until you came along."

"Dead!" Manuel wailed. Shepard closed his eyes hard and rubbed his temples harder. His voice was worse than any migraine. "Dead, they're all dead! And we will join them! Soon, we will be nameless corpses on a dead world! Wuahhaha!" Manuel put his hands to his head and stumbled to Shepard. "But my voice must be heard! I will be heard!" He began to shout incomprehensibly.

Shepard hand shot out and grabbed Manuel's head. With all his strength, he slammed his head against the wall. Not hard enough to do permanent damage, but enough to knock him out. And to satisfy him. Yes, it worked. His headache was going away. Dr. Warren, on the other hand, was not too happy about it.

"Oh my god! What did you do?" She went to check on Manuel, who moaned softly.

"I slammed his head against the wall," Shepard muttered.

"That might have been a little extreme, Commander," Kaidan whispered. But he didn't try to hide his enjoyment. Ashley was covering her smile with her hand.

"You can't go around whacking people in the head!" Warren accused.

"It was only a matter of time before he went off and did something crazy, and dangerous," Shepard explained harshly. Warren sighed.

"I suppose you're right," Warren chuckled. "I was about to do it myself. His meds should have kicked in by the time he wakes up."

"If we leave you here, will you be alright by yourself?" Shepard asked.

"I think we'll be fine," the doctor said. "The geth have been long gone for awhile. But I do have a basic firearm training and the pistols in the cupboard, so-"

"Take the gun out and don't move," Shepard said sharply. "Don't open the door unless they're with the Alliance. Williams, take us to the spaceport."

"Aye, aye, sir," Ashley nodded. They moved out, ready for anything.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Nihlus moved from behind cover to cover. The spaceport was just ahead, and whoever was there as well. From what he could see from a distance, he was a turian. Nihlus didn't really care, but he didn't belong here, which probably meant he was working with the Geth.

Geth. It was hard to believe that they had finally left the Perseus Veil to come for the beacon. He had expected trouble but he wasn't expecting this kind.

He crouched behind a crate; the turian was on the other side, unaware of his approach. Nihlus silently took a few breaths to compose himself and darted out, assault rifle brought up to his eyes, ready to shoot, expecting the worst.

What he wasn't expecting was the familiar face of the turian.

"Saren!" he exclaimed, lowering the weapon. Saren turned slowly and responded to his name, smiling pleasantly.

"Nihlus," he greeted.

Nihlus relaxed, lowering his weapon to his side.

"This isn't your mission, Saren. What are you doing here?" Nihlus asked. Saren walked to him and placed his hand on his shoulder, still smiling pleasantly.

"The Council thought you could use some help with this one," Saren continued to walk past him, hand floating to his pistol, still smiling. Nihlus accepted this and looked at what remained of the spaceport. It wasn't much.

"I wasn't expecting to find the Geth here," he said the name with contempt. "The situation's bad."

Nihlus looked around, still wary of the area around him. He needed to find the beacon before the geth did.

"Don't worry," Saren said, still smiling pleasantly. "I've got it under control."

Saren pulled out his pistol and aimed at Nihlus.

Nihlus didn't notice this.

Saren fired.

Nihlus didn't feel anything.

He didn't feel the bullet going into the back of his head and out through his eye.

Saren fired again as Nihlus began to fall.

Nihlus didn't feel the bullet piercing his back, through his spinal column and into his heart.

He didn't feel a thing as he fell, dead before he hit the ground.

Saren cocked his head sideways and stared at the body. Then, moved on to the cargo train, leaving the body behind.

Saren's pleasant smile didn't flinch.

* * *

Thus end's the journey of Nihlus. RIP, you will be missed. Little bit more action in this one than the last one. Kind of gory but that's what came out of my twisted little head. Also got to see how Shepard acts in combat. And around insane people. How little patience he has. He also seems kind of aloof in combat. You'll find out why.

The title doesn't really mean anything in particular. I was just listening to DragonForce while I started writing this particular chapter. I guess you could think that the title is figurative about how they are going through hardships and coming out scarred but alive, but that's up to you. Sometimes the titles will be random, but sometimes, if it's important they'll be about exactly what the chapter is about. I'm making this up as I go.

Back in college again, so these stuff might come out less frequently. Thanks for the reviews. Till later then.


	4. Chapter 3: Kimochi Warui

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«0.03: Eden Prime: Scientist Camp»

«or _Kimochi Warui_»

Shepard heard something echo through the air. He stopped in his tracks and stayed there listening intently. He heard it again. It was the sound of a bullet streaking through the air. Shepard muttered under his breath and ran up the hill, Ashley and Kaidan following closely behind. When he reached the top of the hill, however, what he saw nearly took his breath away.

He recognized it immediately, of course. It was in the transmission from Eden Prime; the one he had watched on the Normandy. What he saw was something resembling claws. However, he realized that that didn't even come close to describing what he saw now.

What it was…whatever it was had a body. It was an elongated metal, reminding him of the squids back on earth. But instead of the normal two-meter long body that he remembered from pictures at the zoo, this thing was taller than that of the Empire State Building. It was more than half the size of the Arcturus Station. There were no words to describe how massive this was. And it was moving upwards, towards the sky, it's claw moving where the thrusters were.

"What the hell is that?" Kaidan breathed.

"It's a ship! Look at the size of it!" Ashley exclaimed.

They watched as it rose up above them and off beyond the clouds. Then they heard a familiar sound, a familiar screech. Shepard looked down and noticed the three spikes lowering the husks down to the ground at the bottom of the hill. He also noticed two geth troopers shooting at them. And a body.

"We've got company!" Shepard growled and instantly dropped to his knee and took out his sniper rifle. Ashley went wide to the left and got behind a boulder while Kaidan slid down the slope to the left and into a crate, using it for cover.

Shepard peered into the scope and saw the two troopers making their way from the cargo area and down the steps. He also noticed a plasma container. Known to be very explosive if the container was punctured.

He smiled to himself.

Ashley got out from cover and saw the husk coming for her. It had the face of a young woman, screaming in supposed agony. Ashley gritted her teeth and fired at it.

It's not human, she told herself. It helped a little.

Kaidan used his Biotics to lift the husk coming at him. It swirled around in the air, flailing his limbs trying to get down from its perch. It continued to scream.

Kaidan fired once in its head, grimly.

After blowing the troopers to bits (he giggled at how they flew through the air), he noticed that one husk had somehow gotten past Ashley and Kaidan and was coming straight for him.

Shepard placed the rifle back on his back.

The husk was a meter away.

Shepard reached for his shotgun.

The husk jumped, flying through the air towards him.

The husk was so blinded by whatever was infesting its brain; it didn't feel the barrel of the shotgun enter its screaming mouth as he jumped.

Shepard fired and sidestepped, letting the dead thing fall onto the ground beside him. He considered the husk for a moment, and then looked up at his two teammates.

"That was pretty damn close, wasn't it?" he said in a noticeably upbeat tone of voice. He chuckled to himself. The other two chuckled a little as well. Shepard walked towards them, a small smile on his face. Then he noticed movement in the shed behind Kaidan. Shepard's hand shot straight to his pistol and brought it up to his eye level.

"Wait!" said the man. "Stay calm! We're not armed!" Behind him, another man and a woman were behind him instantly shot their hands up towards the sky.

Shepard instantly brought the gun down and breathed. He swallowed and holstered his sidearm.

"Don't do that next time," Shepard told them.

"Sorry," the man said, thought he seemed a bit relieved.

"Any of you hurt?" he asked.

"No, we were hiding out in the shed," the man told him. "I'm Cole and these are Blake and Maddie." He gestured to the man and woman standing behind him.

"We were told a beacon was brought to the spaceport, do you know if it's still there?" Shepard asked Cole.

"I don't know," Cole shrugged. "The spaceport was where that monster ship landed. We just saw the ship and made a break for the shed."

"Tell him about the noise, Cole," Maddie said. "That awful noise." She rubbed her temples.

"Yeah, it was making some kind of signal as it descended," Cole said. "Whatever it was, it sounded like the shriek of the damned. Nearly made it impossible to even think."

"It was probably trying to jam communications," Kaidan said. Shepard nodded and looked back at the group.

"Alright," Shepard looked at them. "Listen, if you go up the hill, you'll find a campsite. There you'll find Dr. Warren. Make sure you call for her and _don't freakin' sneak up on her_. You can hide out there until reinforcements come through here. We clear?"

"Ye-yeah," Cole nervously said.

"Don't worry, we cleared that path so you'll be fine," Shepard told them.

"Thank you, sir," Cole said and gestured to the others behind him. He began walking up the hill with Blake behind him, but Maddie walked up quickly to Shepard.

"Um, sir?" she said. "I have a son in the Alliance military. I haven't heard from him in a while and I was wondering if you could…I don't know, check up on him. Please? I know it's a lot to ask for, but if I just had some word from him, it would be nice."

Shepard looked at her for a moment with unreadable eyes. He sighed.

"Alright," he finally answered. "Tell me his name and I'll see what I can do."

"Uh, his name is Richard L. Jenkins, he's a Private," Maddie told him hopefully.

Shepard just stared at her. He breathed heavily and rubbed his face.

"Can you come with me please?" he asked her.

Ashley and Kaidan watched as Shepard took Maddie inside the shed. Cole and Blake waited nearby the shed, silently waiting for Maddie. Ashley could see Shepard and Maddie inside through the small windows, but only just. Kaidan had told her about Jenkins. What were the odds that his mother would be here? Ashley had given people bad news before. It never got easier.

"How you holding up, Chief?" Kaidan asked her.

"Well enough, I suppose," Ashley shrugged. "Can't believe this is happening."

"Well, believe it or not, it is happening," Kaidan, said gently. "And we need to move forward."

"I know," Ashley told him. "Where'd you get that from?" Ashley chuckled jokingly. Kaidan joined her.

"The Commander told me that when I said the same thing you did," Kaidan said. "We were on a mission together, once. To find and take down a lunatic L2 biotic. He had murdered an entire family of people and was holed up in the house, not letting anyone in. He was also holding a young baby hostage. He used to be part of the Alliance so the brass sent in Shepard personally. They ordered Shepard to give the man a chance to surrender if he wanted to, but to take him down if he didn't surrender. I was his back up, but really, he didn't need it."

Ashley listened intently.

"The minute he reached the site, he charged in with nothing but his knife. I heard him yell, 'Sir, if you don't stand down, I will be forced to take lethal action.' The L2 was, technically, his superior officer and Shepard treated him as one. There was a boom and then he yelled again, 'that wasn't very smart, but I'll say again. If you do not stand down, you will die.' I heard the L2 scream and saw a table fly through the window. Shepard yelled again at the man, 'last chance, sir.' The L2 yelled again and then it was cut off. All you could hear was the baby crying in the back. Then he yelled that it was clear and we rushed in."

Ashley blinked as Kaidan found the words again.

"What was inside was a blood bath. An actual blood bath. There were probably 8 dead, men, women and children alike. In some areas, the carpet couldn't absorb the blood anymore, there was so much. I saw Shepard hand the baby over to someone else. That was when I said that I couldn't believe that this happened. And that was when he told me what I just told you."

Kaidan blinked at the ground.

"That was about a year after Akuze. The brass berated him for rash actions, but Shepard didn't really seem to care. That was when he was sent to Dr. Chakwas for psychological evaluation, but frankly, I don't think she got anywhere."

They were silent once again.

"The commander isn't what I expected," Ashley told Kaidan.

"What were you expecting?" Kaidan asked.

"I don't know," Ashley admitted. "I guess that I expected some heroic figure. But the more I see him, the more human he becomes. I see human emotions in him, like anger and humor. But I also see something…dark in him."

"You know his past is a mystery, even to his adopted family," Kaidan said. "And that's how he wants to keep it."

"I know that," Ashley told him. "But still, I find myself wanting to know more about him. What drives him. I mean, a few minutes a go, he was one second away from becoming food for those…things, but he laughed it off a second later as if it never happened. And now, you told me about how he charged right into the maw of a crazed biotic and walked away without breaking a sweat, shrugging it off like it was nothing. Akuze, Torfan and Elysium. He stared death in the face so many times, I can hardly believe it. And yet he still walks on as if it never happened."

"It's because he doesn't really care," Kaidan said. Ashley looked at him, confused.

"He lives in the now," Kaidan told her. "He doesn't seem to care if he lives or dies because that doesn't matter. Sure, he stared death in the face so many times its unbelievable, but that's because once he comes out of it, he doesn't care about it anymore. He doesn't think about it. He just worries about his next move.

Ashley stared at Kaidan. Was this true?

"So, he just doesn't care?" Ashley asked. "About anything?"

"Well, I don't know for sure, I've only been with him twice before," Kaidan eyes narrowed. "But he does seem to care about he lives of people around him. He made sure I told the truth so that I wouldn't get court marshaled. I would have lied to the brass in my report so it seemed like Shepard did everything by the book, but he made it clear he didn't want me to get hurt by it. I guess he doesn't really care if he lives or dies, but he cares if other people are going to get hurt because of him."

Ashley understood. She remembered how Shepard told her that he was the one who shot the farmer on the spike. There was nothing she could have done, because Shepard made the call. He had pulled the trigger.

This only piqued her curiosity. She was even more intrigued in this elusive man named Commander John Shepard.

She heard a wail from inside the shed.

Shepard had told Maddie of her son's fate.

Blake and Cole rushed in as Shepard stepped out.

"But sometimes," Kaidan whispered. "Hurting other people is unavoidable."

Shepard looked up towards the sky, breathing in the almost burnt air from the fires. He tried to drown out the sound of the woman crying behind her, the comforting words from the two friends.

They were good friends, never leaving her side.

Shepard licked his lips. He could still taste the lie on his tongue. Nothing more he could have done? Yeah, right. There was plenty he could have done. He died honorably? He was ambushed and taken off guard. His death was quick? He bled out before he got there.

He felt disgusted-

No. Now wasn't the time. He still had a job to do. Later.

He walked down the ramp and towards Ashley and Kaidan. Ashley looked at him apologetically and Kaidan frowned sadly. Shepard glanced behind him one last time.

"We need to get to the spaceport."

* * *

Pretty short one here. At first I was going to add this along with the team finding Nihlus but I felt it didn't work out so it was just a separate chapter. A little bit more on Shepard's mentality and his past. Had to edit the prologue too so check that out. Seriously, I hadn't planned on that story at all. But the more I wrote, the more came out until that incident appeared. Strange what comes out of ones imagination.

The title is Japanese and strangely enough, has more than one translation. It could mean anything from "I feel sick, I feel disgusting or how disgusting." Even in Japanese it could mean anything along those lines. I chose it because its hinted that Shepard feels disgusted. With himself possibly but it isn't explicitly stated.

I got the idea from Neon Genesis Evangelion, the anime series. The last words spoken in the movie, End of Evangelion, are spoken by one of the main characters literally right before the credits roll. Despite the fact the movie came out during the 90s, even today, it is still a heated topic as to what she (the one who said it) meant by it.


	5. Chapter 4: The Beacon

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«0.04: Eden Prime: Train Station»

«or The Beacon»

The body lay on the ground, a pool of blood slowly drying around it. It was a turian body, that much was certain. How he (for it was a he) died was also fairly obvious. Two bullet holes had penetrated the turians back as well as the back of his head. As he approached the body, Shepard didn't need to know who it was. He had already guessed. It was Nihlus.

Kaidan knelt down and examined the body as Ashley and Shepard watched over him.

"A turian?" Ashley asked. "You know him?" Her voice almost sounded incredulous, almost bewildered.

Shepard nodded.

"He's a Spectre," Kaidan said. "He was onboard the Normandy when we received your distress call." Ashley sniffed.

Shepard looked at her with his eyes, without turning his head. It would seem she didn't like aliens that much, that much was clear. How she disregarded the body when before she was fretting over a dead humans.

Kaidan turned the body over onto its back and almost gasped at the sight. A large bullet wound was present where the right eye should have been. It looked like something had exploded from within.

Shepard regarded the body. Not that long ago, he had been talking to him, talking about knives and other things. Now, he was dead. Shepard continued to examine the body.

A sound of movement.

Shepard hand shot to his pistol and was up to his eye level well before Ashley gave a shout.

"Something's moving, over behind those crates!" she shouted. From behind the crate, a terrified human emerged with hands up, head darting this way and that.

"Wait! Wait, don't shoot!" he shouted. "I'm one of you, I'm human!" Shepard regarded him with a cold look that nearly caused the man to run away.

"Loved how you ran off to hide when the geth were attacking us," Shepard told him. "Really helped us out. Thanks a lot." He holstered his pistol.

Why was he being so hostile to the poor man?

"What? I-I-I don't even have a gun!" The man stammered, then took a few deep breaths. "My names Powell. I saw what happened to that turian. The other one shot him!"

"What the hell are you babbling about?" Shepard snapped.

Why was he angry?

"Uh," Powell began. "I was behind the crates after the attack hit. I saw your friend approach the other turian. He called him Saren. I…I think they knew each other. Your friend seemed to relax. He let his guard down. And Saren just killed him….shot him right in the back. Then he took off on the cargo train."

Was it Nihlus that upset him?

"We were told a Prothean beacon was moved here. What happened to it?" Shepard snapped.

Why did his death upset him so much?

"We moved that to the spaceport this morning. That was where Saren went," Powell sighed, drained. "I knew that beacon was trouble. First that damn mother ship showed up, then the attack! They killed everyone…everyone! If I hadn't hidden behind the crates, I'd be dead too!"

Was it because they were alike?

"How come you're the only one still alive?" Shepard asked, but he had already guessed the answer. "How come no one else tried to hide behind the crates?"

Was it because they had both seen terrible things in war?

"They…didn't get a chance," Powell swallowed. "I was already…behind the crates when the attack hit…"

Had Shepard seen a brother in him?

"Wait a minute," Kaidan said, perplexed. "You were hiding behind the crates before the attack?"

"Not now, Alenko," Shepard snapped. "We have more important things to worry about. We need to get to that beacon." He regarded Powell for a second. "You rest behind the crates, then when you're ready, head up the hill. You'll find a research camp and other survivors." Powell flinched at the word 'rest.'

"Wa-wait," Powell said slowly. "I…found a shipment of grenades. Might come in handy. Here." He handed Shepard the grenades, who in turn passed them off to Ashley and Kaidan. Shepard nodded to him, then knelt down to Nihlus. He closed his one eye and patted his chest. Then he quickly got up and proceeded down towards the camp.

They didn't get far. When they turned a corner, they found two geth troopers. The two groups looked at each other, in silence. Then the troopers uttered a series of beeps and opened fired.

Shepard dropped to the ground and took out his assault rifle, firing it. Kaidan and Ashley broke apart and shot at the troopers.

They didn't last long.

Shepard quickly got up and proceeded down the ramp. He heard a snap and saw his shield flicker as a bullet collided with it. Shepard quickly slid down the rest of the ramp, followed by Kaidan and Ashley. Shepard quickly boarded the long cargo train and hid behind a wall, bullets ricocheting around the group.

"Chief!" Shepard yelled over the din. "Take sniper position! Back us up!"

"On it!" Ashley took out her sniper rifle and prepared to fire.

"Lieutenant! We need a moving barrier!" Shepard yelled.

Kaidan nodded and focused his energy. He could only create a biotic barrier around himself, so he would have to improvise. He noticed that the entire train had walls on the sides that were meant to hold the cargo. This left space for a small pathway running down the middle. Using both hands as a focus, a part of the wall was ripped off and was placed in the middle, covering anyone walking down the middle.

Shepard rolled behind the newly created cover. It would be up to Ashley and himself to take out the squad of geth firing at them. Kaidan was concentrating on moving the metal barrier forward. And with Ashley staying back to cover them both, Shepard would have to do most of the dirty work.

Kaidan slowly moved the makeshift shield forward, using his hands as focus points. Shepard stayed close behind the shield, popping out from cover when he had a shot. Ashley stayed farther back and took careful aim at the ones that posed a bigger threat to the group.

Slowly, they made their way forward, taking out more than half of the squad as they moved, Shepard taking out the ones close by, Ashley taking care of the far away ones, and Kaidan moving the barrier forward.

They were close to train controls. Almost there.

Moving down the tracks, the Geth Destroyer ran towards the train, without breath, without pain, and without tiring. It had received a signal from another unit and was sent as reinforcement. Assault rifle in hand, it jumped into the air and landed on top of the cargo train. In front of three quite surprised humans.

The Destroyer beeped and used his 'shoulder' to push back the small shield. Kaidan tried to push back, but he was weakening. And geth never got tired. The dark energy field he had generated broke and Kaidan was sent back with the shock, blood dripping down his nose.

The metal shield crumpled and fell down, a lifeless sheet of metal. This left nothing between the massive geth and Shepard.

Shepard activated his Omni-Tool and the assault rifle in the destroyer's hand exploded. This didn't stop it. It could easily use its own 'hands.'

Shepard opened fire, peppering the destroyer with bullets; some fell harmlessly form the shield it generated, while others actually damaged it. Beeping shrilly, the destroyer reached down and grabbed Shepard by the neck before he could react, its 'hand' wrapping around the frail thing. It began to squeeze.

Shepard felt his neck slowly squeeze shut, his breathing slowly being halted. Shepard's hand still fired at the massive thing, but the hand didn't relent. His eyes bulged out of his sockets, and a small line of blood slowly drew a line down his face. His vision began to darken.

Somewhere, he heard Ashley yell "Grenade!"

The destroyer heard it and saw a small circular disk fall at its feet. It looked at it with its one eye and the small thing exploded, sending the destroyer on its back and releasing its hold on Shepard.

Shepard was sent flying over the railing. Only instinct saved Shepard as his hand met the railing, he grabbed it immediately, not caring what it was. He hung from the railing with one hand, getting his breathe back to him.

The destroyer tried to get back up, but it was being continuously hammered by Ashley's accurate sniper shots. This hardly fazed the monstrous thing as it stood back up and found the human. It was about 2 yards away, a distance it could easily cover in less a second. If only the human would stop shooting the rifle.

Ashley continued to fire a continuous stream of bullets, cold, calculating anger guiding her shots. This was the people of Eden Prime, who were under he protection. This was for the men and women who died under her command.

Bam!

That one was for Charlie Samuels!

Bam!

That one was for Narali Bhatia!

Bam!

That one was for Lucy Lamont!

Bam!

That one was for Chris Peterson!

Bam! Bam!

That one was for-

…

Ashley quickly looked at her weapon. It had overheated from the strain. Ashley quickly looked up, a look of fear creeping its way along her face.

The destroyer had her.

It began to move forward in a run.

Shepard moved.

He jumped on top of the railing and unsheathed his knife.

The destroyer neared her, arm outstretched.

Shepard jumped onto the back of the destroyer, slowing it down.

The destroyer moved around, trying to get the human off of its back.

Shepard climbed up the thing, using his knife as a handhold.

The destroyer began swinging around.

Shepard held on with a death grip, gritting his teeth.

The destroyer swung around.

Shepard legs collided against a nearby pole, feeling something pop. He let out a grunt.

He didn't let this impede him.

Shepard climbed up and was on the beast's shoulders. Using both arms, he drove the knife into the flashlight-head, destroying the light.

The destroyer began flailing around wildly, hitting Shepard in random places, but not seeing around him.

Shepard wasn't done yet.

Using the knife as a handle, Shepard tore the head upwards, exposing a small hole where the collarbone would have been on a human, seeing a light and wires coming out of it. Shepard took out his shotgun and shoved it into the hole.

Whatever it was, it looked important.

The destroyer lost balance and began to fall backwards.

Shepard tore the knife out and fell with it.

He fired.

The bullets tore through the wires and hit the destroyer's main energy source, decimating it, cutting off all power.

Shepard fell with a thud and slid across the floor.

The destroyer flinched a little, than didn't move at all.

Ashley quickly ran to Kaidan, who moaned.

"Lieutenant!" She shouted. "You alright?"

"I'll live," he groaned. "I've had worse migraines than this." He took off his helmet and wiped the blood away from his nose. "The commander?" He asked as he put his helmet back on.

Ashley gasped and looked up. She saw Shepard- the commander's body. It didn't move.

She ran, jumping over the dead destroyer's body and knelt beside Shepard- the commander.

Ashley stopped herself as her hand went out. Was she allowed to touch him? Ashley shook away these thoughts. How stupid! She's a marine! She's not supposed to have these thoughts! She's just a marine and she's going to touch his body to make sure he's all right! That's all there is-

"I'm fine by the way," a voice came. "Thanks for asking."

Ashley started as she realized that Shepard was looking at her. He had been for a while. Ashley blushed. She's a marine, not some elementary school brat!

"Are you hurt?" Ashley asked.

"Too late," Shepard muttered. "Can't ask that now, I already told you I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Ashley asked again.

"Well," Shepard said. "Let's see. I've been shot at, had my neck almost crushed by that geth superman thingy – oh, you're welcome for that, by the way – almost fell over the edge, had my legs banged up, and fell straight on my back, possibly causing partial paralysis, so yeah, I'm just peachy. Et tu?"

Ashley sighed. She knew he was joking, of course. He was trying to make her feel better, maybe.

"I've could've taken that thing out," Ashley muttered. "With all due respect."

"I'm sure you could've, Chief," Shepard sat up slowly, a few cracks of bones were heard, but Shepard didn't react to it. He felt it, but he's felt worse things before. A few cracked bones were nothing. "Kaidan?"

"Ready and able, sir," Kaidan walked up to them. Shepard nodded and looked at the controls for the train. "We've got to get to the beacon." He didn't mention Saren.

He didn't need to.

Kaidan activated the controls while Ashley helped Shepard to his feet. Shepard pushed Ashley away and walked on his own two feet. The Medi-Gel would help, but it would only be a temporary fix, Shepard knew. The train lurched forward and drove out of sight.

Shepard still had a job to do and a few cracked bones weren't going to stop him.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Saren stalked down the ramp, eyes intent on his prize. The beacon stood tall and proud, waiting for someone to activate it.

Saren craved the knowledge.

Coming to one of the geth shock troopers, he paused to relay orders to it.

"Set the charges, destroy the entire colony. Leave no evidence that we were here," Saren didn't even pause to see if the thing had acknowledged his orders. Saren merely continued down towards the thing, passing several dragons' teeth carrying husks on them. Saren didn't know why the geth would care about gathering natural human resources and he didn't really care.

The beacon was all the mattered.

Saren stopped, standing in front of the tall spire-like object. A gleaming green beam shot up towards the sky. There he stood, in awe of such a perfection of technology.

He felt something probe his mind.

The geth surrounding him stood indifferent as Saren was lifted into the air.

\::/::\::/::\::/

The team of humans approached the spaceport on the train. Shepard leaned against the railing and felt the train begin to slow as Kaidan worked the controls. Shepard glanced up and saw a metal gleam from a moving object. Geth.

"Weapons ready," Shepard ordered, taking out his shotgun, while Kaidan took out their respective weapons.

The train slowed to a stop and was welcomed by a barrage of weapon fire. The team fired back as they moved off the train and onto the platform. Shepard hid behind cover as did the rest of the group. Slowly, with nothing left to shoot at, the firing ceased.

It was replaced by the noise of a repetitive beeping nearby. Shepard looked over his right and noticed what made it.

"Demolition charges!" Kaidan shouted. "The geth must have planted them!"

"Ya think?" Shepard muttered. He moved towards the bomb, making sure he was well below cover. Examining it, he activated his Omni-Tool and proceeded to disarm it.

"Hurry!" Ashley shouted. "We need to find them all and shut them down!"

"Please," Shepard muttered under his breath. "Continue to shout into my ear as I'm disarming a 20 kiloton bomb that requires a great deal of concentration, as I have to find the right deactivation codes from series of matrix's with an army of geth trying to kill us all with barely an elementary school education and knowledge gained from a space worker on the _MSV Scorpio_."

By the time he finished his rant, he had disarmed the bomb and was moving up the ramp, keeping low and popping out every now and then to shoot at the geth.

Moving from cover to cover, they found their way to the second bomb.

"Cover!" Shepard activated his Omni-Tool and prepared to work.

Kaidan fired his pistol, destroying two geth in the process.

Something hit his shield and he was almost knocked to the ground. He regained his footing and peeked from behind cover, seeing the sniper in the back.

"Damn," Kaidan muttered. Reaching within himself, a flaming aura surrounded his body. Taking another look at the sniper, he threw a field of dark energy that shaped itself into a sphere. It collided with the sniper, who in turn was blown away by it. Kaidan smiled to himself.

Ashley was also taking out many geth and enjoying it, mostly. Using her assault rifle, she dealt with the geth that dared to peek from behind cover. One shock trooper fired a charged shot that missed Ashley by a hair. Growling, she took a grenade and threw it, taking out a group of geth in one attack.

"Move it up!" Shepard shouted and the group expertly moved forward, taking down the geth who stood in their way. Nothing could stop them and by the time they found the last bomb, a litter of broken machine parts littered the spaceport.

Shepard got up from his work and looked around. Nothing. Sighing, he looked at his group.

"Good job," Shepard said curtly. Ashley and Kaidan both nodded. Shepard turned and began to walk down the ramp. He stopped as he noticed three spikes and the humans impaled on them. He noted that they were near to being full husks of what they once were.

Ashley looked over and her eyes saddened. Kaidan sighed.

Shepard looked at them both and saw the understanding in their eyes.

He took out a pistol and fired three shots. Three husks were dead.

Shepard threw a grenade and the spikes fell into pieces.

Without stopping he saw his prize and nearly sighed in exaltation. At long last, the beacon stood in clear sight. They had come through many hardships, lost a good man and suffered many wounds. This "beacon" better be worth it. The group reached the area in front of it.

"Normandy," he contacted the ship through his headset. "This is Commander Shepard. The beacon is secure…" While he talked, Ashley and Kaidan stared at the awe-inspiring sight.

"Incredible," Kaidan whispered, too amazed for words. "Actual working Prothean technology. Unbelievable!"

"It wasn't doing anything like this when they dug it up," Ashley said curiously. It was true. It wasn't glowing with a sickly green light that shot a beam into the sky.

Odd.

"Something must have activated it," she noted. Kaidan shrugged and turned, walking back towards Commander Shepard.

"Roger, Normandy. Standing by," Shepard turned off his comm. and turned to acknowledge Kaidan. Behind Kaidan, Shepard noted Ashley and the glowing beacon.

Ashley examined the beacon closely.

She took a step forwards.

She felt something probe her mind.

She stopped.

Something began to suck her in with an intense force that nearly swept her off her feet.

Shepard started then ran, bumping into Kaidan on the way.

Ashley felt a dull pain in her brain.

Shepard jumped and collided into the Chief.

Ashley began to hold her head, barely aware of the Commander.

Shepard used all his strength and tossed Ashley back towards Kaidan.

Ashley rolled and shook her head.

She looked up.

Shepard struggled to pull back but couldn't.

He was lifted into the air.

"Shepard!" Ashley yelled.

She tried to reach him.

"No! Don't touch him! It's too dangerous!" Kaidan held her back.

Pain erupted in Shepard's brain.

Shepard's eyes were shut tight, trying to fight the pain back.

Something forced them open.

Then he saw…

_War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death_-

**Pain.**

"_Don't worry-_

Shepard blinked.

_War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death_-

**Agony.**

_-John," said the girl-_

Shepard blinked back tears.

_-whose face was a bloody mess. "I'll-_

**Anguish.**

_-protect you."_

_-Prothean-_

**Suffering.**

_The bloody girl smiled warmly._

Shepard 's tears rolled down his cheeks.

_War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death_-

The beacon exploded.

Shards of shrapnel was thrown in thousands of places.

Some imbedded themselves into Shepard's chest.

He fell hard on his back.

Ashley ran forward, while Kaidan slowly got up, too shocked for words.

The beacon was destroyed.

Kaidan looked down.

Ashley was checking Shepard's vitals.

Commander John Shepard, the war hero who was awarded the Star of Terra, the ruthless eradicator of the slavers on Torfan and the sole survivor of the sneak attack on Akuze…

…was down.

\::/::\::/::\::/

As the massive, animal-like ship floated through space, Saren brooded in a makeshift chair. His mind was filled with visions. Thoughts. Some his own. Some from the beacon. Some…

He barely heard the asari behind him. He didn't care.

The asari cleared her throat.

"We identified the ship that touched down," she spoke in a toneless voice. "The Normandy. It was part Captain Anderson's crew-"

Saren jerked to attention. Anderson.

"They managed to save the colony," the asari continued.

"And the beacon?" Saren growled. The asari paused.

"One of the humans may have used it," was all she said.

Saren whirled around.

Then he took three deep breaths.

He whirled to his right.

He roared.

He grabbed a datapad.

He threw it across the room.

He grabbed something else.

He roared as he hurled it.

The asari shifted to avoid it.

Saren jumped to his feet.

He kicked anything on the ground.

He turned to the asari.

He ran up to her.

He grabbed her head with both hands.

He stared into her eyes.

Saw a distant fear.

He took several breaths.

"This human," he released her. "Must be eliminated."

Then he stalked off, leaving the asari to her own thoughts.

The ship took no note of this and continued to drift towards its next destination.

* * *

And with that, we are off of Eden Prime. Thank you all again for the reviews. Didn't think I'd keep an interest in this long enough to make it past the first level, but the reviews helped a great deal.

About the rant that Shepard said about the bomb: don't look too deeply into that. I don't even know what half the words meant.

The 20 kilotons is a reference to the Trinity bomb. It was the first detonation of a nuclear bomb ever and launched the atomic age. It was roughly the size of 20 kilotons of TNT so there you go. Look it up.

Check back again for the next chapter. Thanks a lot.


	6. Chapter 5: Debriefing

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«0.05: _SSV Normandy_: Living Quarters: Med Clinic»

«or Debriefing»

_____War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death_-

**Pain.**

"_Don't worry-_

_____War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death_-

**Agony.**

_-John," said the girl-_

_____War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death_-

_-whose face was a bloody mess. "I'll-_

**Anguish.**

_-protect you."_

_-Prothean-_

**Suffering.**

_The bloody girl smiled warmly._

Help us…

_John was lying on the ground, one leg propped up on the other, staring at the sky. The girl was finishing up her drink and hot dog. They were in a dirty alleyway, but didn't notice. This was normal. This was home._

"_Hey," said John. "When are you going to teach me how to use a knife?"_

"_When you're balls descend," the girl said simply, tossing her trash away._

"_Fuck you, flat-chest!" John shot back._

"_The fuck you just say, small dick?" the girl leapt at him, hands like claws._

_John rolled away from her and started to run for his life. It didn't work. In no time at all, John was being held up against the wall, arms pinned and the girl was kneeing him in the gut. Not hard at all, of course. Soft enough that John was laughing while it was going on, but hard enough for John to get the message._

"_Where did you learn any manners, fucktard! Haven't I beaten you up enough times for any form of manners to be imprinted in your shit brains? Huh!"_

_Never make fun of her chest._

_John found his footing against the wall and pushed, landing on top of her, pinning her to the ground. They lay there for a minute, catching their breaths. Silently laughing._

"_You gonna take advantage of me, perv?" she asked, possibly half-joking._

"_Take advantage of what?" John said._

_The girl's knee shot upwards and into John's groin. He screamed in pain and agony, rolling off of her and into the fetal position, tears nearly streaming down his face. For what seemed an eternity, the pain started to subside._

"_Oh come on, I didn't even hit you that hard," she rolled her eyes and tossed her red hair._

"_Are you kidding? Any pain is magnified down there! It's pretty damn sensitive! If you were to flick it, it would feel like you punched it! Now, imagine if you just kneed it with half your strength!" He slowly got up and began to jump on his heels, reducing the pain. "You're lucky you ain't got anything down there, or else…"_

"_Or else what?" she crossed her arms._

"_Never mind," he dusted himself off and began to walk away._

"_No, seriously, I want you to finish that thought!" she followed him._

_Pretty soon, they were side by side, walking together to wherever they wanted. Both smiling together, laughing toge-_

Shepard squinted his eyes against the light. He blinked away the sleep and the dream. And was met with an intense pain in his skull. He tried to sit up but his head forced him down.

Water. He wanted water.

He glanced over to his left and noticed a glass of water. He reached over with his right hand for it, twisting his body in the process. His body didn't like it, and it caused his hand to jerk. He missed the glass by a foot. But he knew it was there. He could see it. He knew it was there. His hand itched for it. His body ached for water.

The glass slid across the table and into his hand, with the slightest of glows.

He thankfully brought the glass of water to his lips, and drank from the heavenly glass. Slowly his aching head began to soothe. Soon it was gone. He breathed heavily and placed the glass down on the table again. It was then that his body was bandaged up with gauze, but he could feel the Medi-Gel injected into him working on fixing his wounds.

"Dr. Chakwas! I think he's awake!" came a voice from behind. It was Ashley's voice.

Shepard got up and sat up on the bed. He rubbed his head. The ache was still there, but smaller now.

He heard footsteps and looked up to see Dr. Chakwas walking towards him, a small smile on her face. What was she smiling about?

"You had us worried there," she told him. "How're you feeling?"

"You really want to know?" Shepard asked bitterly. The good doctor smiled at him, and didn't press it. "How long was I out?"

"About 6 hours," she answered and sighed. "Something happened with the beacon, I think."

"It's my fault," Ashley told him, hanging her head. "I must have activated some security mechanism when I approached it. You had to push me out of the way."

"Don't blame yourself," Shepard muttered. "You didn't know what would happen. No one would have known what would happen."

Ashley smiled.

"Actually, we didn't know if that's what set it off. Unfortunately, we'll never get the chance to find out," Chakwas said.

"The beacon exploded," Ashley moved to stand next to Dr. Chakwas. "A system overload, maybe. The blast knocked you cold. The Lieutenant and I carried you back to the ship." Shepard groaned and brought his hand to his head.

The beacon. Destroyed.

"Thanks," Shepard said softly. Ashley blinked. "Thanks for bringing me back to the ship. I appreciate it."

Ashley smiled and turned her head to the side. Shepard cocked an eyebrow. Was she blushing? Why was she blushing? Women were very confusing.

Chakwas saw this exchange and noted this. From what she noticed, Shepard seemed to take to the Chief very well. Normally, Shepard would have berated any other soldier for being careless, but for some reason, Shepard was actually being comforting to her. Maybe the Commander trusted her. But why though? They had only just met and under some strange circumstances. Did Shepard see something in her? Chakwas had to find out what it was.

"So," Shepard's voice brought the doctor out her thoughts. "What's the damage, doc?"

"Well," Chakwas began. "Physically you're not fine. Three broken ribs, a bullet wound in the shoulder, a bruised trachea, and multiple shrapnel pieces lodged into your chest. Seriously, Commander, what happened down there that would've cause a bruised trachea?" Shepard stared at her, remembering a certain massive geth with a rather powerful grip.

"Fun times?" Shepard shrugged. Ashley chuckled a little. "Besides, what do you care, doc? We're the one's that do the heavy work, you just patch us up when we're done."

"I know what the job entails, John," Chakwas put a rather heavy emphasis on his name. She knew that he didn't like it when people called him by his first name. She never really understood why, but she guessed it was because of trust issues. This was a test to see if Shepard trusted her enough with his name.

"Good to know…doctor," Shepard answered, eyes narrowing, almost threatening. Chakwas knew that that was only time that Shepard wanted her to call him by his first name. But she needed to know.

"Along with your other…injuries, I detected some unusual brain activities. Abnormal beta waves," Shepard didn't really know what the hell beta waves were, but he was too tired to care. He put his legs on the ground and stood up, leaning against the bed. His legs almost gave out, but he forced himself to stand. Good to be back on his feet.

"I also noticed an increase in your Rapid Eye Movement," Chakwas continued. "Signs typically associated with intense dreaming." Shepard eyes began to look far away. He crossed his arms in front of him.

"I saw…" Shepard whispered.

_Help us._

"I'm not sure what I saw," Shepard shook his head. "Death. Destruction. Nothing's really clear."

"Who's Jane?" Chakwas asked. Shepard gave a small start. "You were muttering her name while you were sleeping. Who is she?"

Shepard didn't answer; he just continued to stare at the floor. Ashley also leaned in to see if he would answer. She had heard him while he was sleeping as well, and was intrigued.

Shepard slowly turned his head and glared at Chakwas. Ashley's eyes widened and she almost took a step back. She almost gulped.

She had never seen a look like that. Ever.

His eyes were…it was hard to explain. She had never seen someone give that look before. But she could feel the intensity behind it. The powerful emotion behind his glare. She knew what it meant, what it felt.

It held a simple meaning: bring it up again, and I will kill you.

Ashley realized that the glare wasn't even directed at her. It was directed at Chakwas. She glanced over at the doctor. She was holding her ground, never taking her eyes off of him. Ashley gulped again. The room was suddenly feeling a lot more cramped.

Eventually, Shepard broke off eye contact and looked over towards the door.

"Oh," Chakwas started. "Captain Anderson."

Ashley also started. She didn't even hear him come in.

"How's our XO holding up?" the Captain asked.

"Despite his injuries, I'd say the Commander is going to be just fine," Chakwas answered.

"Good. Commander, I need to speak with you," he glanced at the Chief. "In private."

"Aye aye, Captain. I'll be in the mess if you need me," Ashley saluted smartly and walked past them. She made sure she didn't make eye contact with the Commander. She almost ran out of the room.

When she was out, she breathed a sigh of relief. She was ashamed to have ran away from Shepard, but she could barely breathe in there. She walked over to the table and sat down hard. Chakwas sat down next to her.

"How are you, Ashley?" Chakwas asked. Ashley chuckled.

"I'm just fine, doctor, what with a rogue spectre, an entire colony burned down and the Hero of Humanity giving you the death stare, I couldn't be happier," she chuckled again. Chakwas did as well along with her.

"Yes, that was rather intense, wasn't it?" Chakwas agreed. "Whenever I touched upon a subject he didn't like, he would just give me that stare. After a while, I got used to it a little, but I've never really had the courage to push him."

Ashley nodded. They sat in silence for a while.

"So," Ashley began. "Who is Jane?"

"I haven't the faintest idea," Chakwas asked, shaking her head. "None of his records ever mention anyone named Jane. I assume it was someone he knew before. And judging from the stare he gave me, she was someone dear to him."

"You think she's dead? You say 'was,'" Ashley asked.

"I do. Otherwise, I wouldn't have gotten that strong of a reaction from him. I could be wrong, of course, and Jane is still alive, but whoever she is, she left her mark on him," Chakwas said. She looked at the Chief as she poured herself a cup of water. "You're interested in him, aren't you?"

Ashley spewed out the contents of her mouth that shot out and seemed to make a small rainbow in front of her. She turned to Chakwas sharply and in shock.

"What? No! No! What? Of course not! I just met him! Are you crazy! No! What? No!" she stammered, constantly waving her hand in front of her. When she was done, she sunk down and placed her head on the table in front of her, hiding. Chakwas smiled.

"But you do want to get to know him. Who he is, where he came from," Ashley turned her head towards the doctor. "Many people do. There's barely any information on him at all and he refuses to talk to anyone. I've been trying for nearly 4 years to get him to open up, but little success. He just seems to not want to talk to anyone about it. I remember when the earlier sessions we had were just us staring at each other for an hour. It would seem that he has a hard time trusting anybody."

Ashley blinked. She sat up again.

"When I saw him walking down the hill," Ashley began. "I instantly knew who he was. You'd have to living under a rock to not know the face of Commander John Shepard. A real hero. I always pictured a hero as someone who does great things and then shows off about it, constantly challenging other people about. Like Odysseus or Achilles. I pictured the Commander like that." She grimaced.

"Big shock there. He came walking down the hill and proceeded to have a seat on the ground. As if he didn't care about the two geth he just shot with two bullets! Seeing him in action, it was like he didn't care about his own life. How could someone, a hero, not care about his own life if they want to boast about it later? Then I realized. He's no hero. He's a soldier who just happened to do great things. He was just a normal man."

Chakwas listened to what Ashley said carefully.

"So, yes, he is interesting. I want to find out what makes him…keep going." She fell silent, blushing. Chakwas smiled and took a sip of her drink.

"As do I," was all Chakwas said. Ashley smiled and they bumped their cups together.

"What's Chief Williams doing here? She isn't part of the Normandy crew," Shepard asked silently. The pain in his chest was dull, but there.

"I figured we could use someone like her. So I added her to our crew," Anderson explained.

"She's a good soldier. She'll deserves it," Shepard tonelessly replied. The ache in his joints was there, a constant reminder.

"Lieutenant Alenko agrees with you," Anderson replied. He knew that this wasn't what Shepard wanted to talk about. He was merely delaying.

Shepard grabbed the glass from the table and threw it against the wall, shattering it instantly. He punched the spot where the glass broke. Hard, but he didn't feel it. Couldn't feel it. Too angry.

Anderson watched, not saying anything. He knew that Shepard needed to let loose. To get rid of his anger and frustration. So he let Shepard rage while he watched quietly.

"Intel dropped the ball, sir!" Shepard shouted as he faced Anderson. "We had no idea what the fuck we were walking into down there. That's why things went to hell!" He caught his breath; fists clenched so hard his knuckles popped. Breathing heavily, his head faced the floor.

"The geth haven't been seen outside the Veil in nearly 200 years," he said quietly and calmly. "No one could have predicted this."

Shepard slowly calmed down and unclenched his fists. He raised his head and Anderson sighed. There was nothing but pain. Anderson recognized that pain all too well.

"I don't like soldiers dying under my command," was all Shepard said. Anderson nodded.

"Jenkins wasn't your fault, Commander," Anderson said softly. Anderson knew that it didn't help much, but it helped a little. Only a little. He watched as Shepard looked at his hands. Anderson knew that Shepard saw Jenkins in his arms, dying. "There was nothing you could have done. I heard what happened from Alenko. There was nothing you could have done, Commander."

Shepard didn't really believe that, but it helped.

_Butcher_.

Shepard looked up. The pain in his eyes was gone. Just like that, it was gone.

"You said you wanted to talk to me, Captain?" Shepard asked.

"I won't lie to you, Shepard," Anderson sighed. "Things looked bad. Nihlus is dead, the beacon is destroyed and geth are invading Citadel Space. The council is going to want answers."

"I didn't do anything wrong, Captain. Hopefully the Council will see that," Shepard replied. He didn't really care about the council, but he respected the power the held.

"I'll stand behind you and your report, Commander. You're a damned hero in my books," Anderson leaned against the nearby bed, a far away look in his gaze. "That's not why I'm here." Shepard sat back down on the bed, waiting for the Captain.

"It's Saren," he said the word filled with contempt. "That other turian. Saren's a spectre, one of the best. A living legend. But if he _is_ working with the geth, it means he's gone rogue. A rogue spectre's trouble. Saren is dangerous, and he hates humans."

Shepard nodded. A lot of aliens did think that humanity was growing too fast, taking over the galaxy. They didn't like it. Maybe they were jealous of the power they held or that they were given special privileges, whatever the reason.

"He didn't attack Eden Prime because he hated humans," Shepard said. "That may have been part of it, but it wasn't the full reason."

"I agree," Anderson said. He also said it like he didn't really believe it, Shepard noted. "Saren has allied himself with the geth, somehow. Normally, the geth kill any organics who come near them, but for some reason they didn't kill Saren. Whatever the reason, it had something to do with that beacon. You were there before the beacon self-destructed. Did you see anything? Any clue that might tell us what Saren was after?"

Here it comes.

"Just before I lost consciousness, I had some kind of _vision,_" Shepard began slowly. Anderson stood up and faced Shepard.

"A vision of what?" he asked.

"I'm pretty sure I saw synthetics of some kind," Shepard continued, recalling the memory. "Geth maybe, slaughtering people. Butchering them." Anderson paused to let this soak in.

"We need to report this to the council," Anderson said finally.

"What're we gonna tell them? I had a bad dream? Cause ya know, I'm just dying to have sessions again with the good old doctor again," Shepard shot back sarcastically.

"We don't know what kind of information was stored in that beacon," Anderson plowed through his sarcasm. "A weapon of some kind, whatever it was. Saren took it. _But I know Saren_." He paused.

Shepard guessed that he had a history with this turian, though he wouldn't admit it.

"I know his reputation, his politics," Anderson continued. "He believes that humans are a blight on the galaxy and this was his declaration of war. He has the secrets from the beacon, an army of geth at his command and he won't stop until we are wiped from the face of the galaxy."

"He was willing to kill another turian," Shepard said. "Nihlus. If Saren hates humans, then he must love his own race. But he was willing to kill a fellow turian to achieve his goal. I think this is bigger than humanity, Captain, with all due respect." Anderson could see the logic behind that. Shepard waved his hand away. "Regardless, I'll take him down with my own hands if I have to." He clenched his fists.

"It's not that simple," Anderson sighed. "He's a spectre. He can go anywhere, do almost anything. That's why we need the council on our side."

Shepard rubbed the growing, spiky hair on his chin, thinking. The council is more willing to take the side of a spectre then the words of a mere soldier.

"If we prove he's allied himself with the geth, maybe the council will revoke his spectre status," Shepard thought aloud. Anderson agreed.

"I'll contact the ambassador, and see if he can get us an audience with the council. He'll also want to see us as soon as we reach the Citadel. We should be close. Head up to the bridge and tell Joker to bring us into dock," and with that he turned sharply away.

Shepard paused and cracked his neck. He wasn't willing to believe that it would be that simple.

But he had to try.

His mind wandered back to the dream. The girl. Jane. He realized something now that he hadn't realized before.

That was the happiest he had ever been in his life.

He groaned. He needed a smoke. Now.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Ashley started as Shepard walked out of the med bay. Chakwas had gone off to finish up her report, leaving Ashley to her own thoughts. She had thought about how different Shepard was from other people, and how human he was at the same time. She was curious about him. She had never met anyone like him before. So bold and strong, and yet so…indifferent, as if it didn't matter. And yet so tortured from what she could see. She wanted to know why.

Shepard approached her, still rubbing his head. He had to try to wrap his head around everything that happened today. It was mind-boggling. This morning he was just going on a normal shakedown run and now, he's trying to prove that a spectre had gone rogue.

He needed a cigarette.

"I'm glad you're okay, commander," Ashley's voice knocked him out of his daze. "The crew could use some good news after what happened to Jenkins."

And then there was Jenkins. What were the odds that he would run into Jenkins's mother on the day he was killed? It baffled him and filled him with a sense of shame.

"Jenkins was a valuable part of this crew," he muttered. He didn't really mean it; he had hardly spoken to the man. He wasn't even entirely sure what his job was except being a private. But he wasn't going to tell her that. He wasn't that blunt. Well, not all the time.

"Part of me feels guilty," Ashley admitted. "If Jenkins was still alive…I might not be here." Shepard nodded. It's just the way things went. Soldiers died and other soldier's replaced them. That's how this world they lived in worked.

"You're a good soldier, Williams," Shepard told her instead. "You belong on the Normandy." Looking at the big picture wouldn't comfort her. But why was he caring about comforting her?

"Thanks commander. I appreciate that," she smiled and Shepard's heart almost began to race. Why? She was just another soldier. What made her special? Why was Shepard caring if Ashley liked him? Wait, liked him? Where did that come from?

"Things were pretty rough down there," Shepard looked at her straight in the eye. "Are you okay?" It was her eyes. Her take-charge personality. So like hers…

"I've seen friends die before," she looked down at the ground. "Comes with being a marine. But to see my whole unit wiped out…and you never get used to seeing dead civilians…but things would have been a lot worse if you hadn't of shown up."

That's what it was. She reminded him of Jane.

"We couldn't have done it without you, Williams," Shepard touched her shoulder briefly. She smiled at him. Shepard found himself smiling. Odd.

"Thanks, commander. I have to admit, I was a little nervous when I was assigned to the Normandy. It's nice when people make you feel welcome." She paused. "I also have to admit, I've never worked with someone who was awarded the Star of Terra before."

Shepard almost sighed. He was so tired of hearing that kind of thing. Awe and wonder as if he were some god.

"I spent most of the time trying to stay alive," Shepard muttered, crossing his arms. Ashley scoffed.

"Holding off an entire platoon of slavers single-handed? Fighting on until reinforcements arrived? If you don't mind me saying, sir, but I think you've got someone watching over you!" Ashley exclaimed. Shepard merely shook his head, smiling.

"I think you're going to fit in here just fine, Williams," he reassured her.

"Thanks, commander!" Ashley's smile deepened. Shepard nodded and walked away. Looking over his shoulder, he waved.

"I'll see you around, Williams," Ashley smiled back and watched him walk away. She couldn't help but look forward to the next time they talked.

She felt as if there would be plenty of opportunities for them to talk in the future.

Shepard walked to his locker to find a surprise waiting for him. An unpleasant surprise.

"Don't you have work to do, doctor?" Shepard muttered. Chakwas leaned against the locker next to his and watched as he sat on the bench and placed all of his armor and weapons back into the proper places. His knife, he placed it with both hands on the rack at the top.

"I heard what you said," Chakwas said. "When you were talking to the Chief."

"Did you now?" Shepard muttered.

"It was interesting," she continued. "Hearing you lie to her. You're the kind of person who sees the whole picture, who doesn't worry himself with details. You instead look at everything as a whole; you see how everything is connected."

Shepard continued to put his belongings away.

"Jenkins's death bothered you because you feel that you could have saved him. But looking back now, you know that what happened, happened, and can be undone. You, instead, learn from this and move on. Until Ms. Williams showed up that is."

Shepard continued to ignore her. Or so it seemed.

"She's very interesting, isn't she? She's almost like you: proud, strong and skilled. There is only one difference between you two. You forget about the people who died and move on, remembering them only as blips in the past. Williams, on the other hand, always seems to keep them close to her heart always."

Shepard's movements seemed to slow down slightly, as if his attention was elsewhere.

"This…upsets you, doesn't it? You feel that if you continued to live in the past, you would never have moved on and gotten to where you are now. You would have never have made it as a soldier with those chains holding you down. And here is Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams, a woman chained down by memories, but still able to move."

Shepard stopped moving. Chakwas looked at him with a deep sense of understanding.

"You want to forget the past. You want to move on without ever looking back. And here is this woman who always looks back, but always moves forward. And you don't know why."

Shepard slowly stood up, closing the locker door. His eyes were unfocused and looking down.

"It's because to move forward, you always have to know where you came from," Chakwas finished her speech and looked at Shepard for a reaction. To see if any of it sunk in.

"So what you're saying, doc," Shepard looked at her, a smile on his face. "Is that for me to be all lovey-dovey inside, I have to look back? Is that it? And that the Chief is my key to being happy? Hate to say it, but I've got no use for the past. This is now. That was then. Two completely different state of minds. They have no affect on each other. So you say that Williams is stronger than me because she remembers the past? Why does she need to? The only reason that someone needs to remember the past is because they're afraid of the future. They're afraid of what might happen. The past already happened, so there's no surprise. The future is a mystery, so there's always a surprise. Most of them unpleasant. But she needs to realize that it's going to happen, so she needs to stop worrying about it and leave others alone. Break the chains to the past and move on. They'll only slow you down."

Shepard turned sharply and stalked away. Chakwas looked after him.

"Are we still talking about the chief?" Chakwas dared to ask.

Shepard missed a step, but continued at the same pace, never looking back. Chakwas rubbed a hand through her hair and sighed. Did she get anywhere today? Or had she only learned some of the same things again?

One thing was certain: Shepard was going to open up soon. She wasn't sure how she knew, but she could feel it. Maybe Shepard wouldn't open up to her or to Williams. But Chakwas had a feeling that someone was going to open him up.

Whether she knew it or not, Ashley had in fact begun tearing down Shepard's impenetrable wall. Chakwas just had to wait and see if someone had the courage to look inside.

* * *

Another talky, but its important. What the overall goal was to reveal a little more about Shepard's character. And to show that this a very important time in his life. Both for the universe and for himself personally. Time brings change, for good or for bad.

Happy Chinese New Year for the people who celebrate it. Happy Year of the Yin Earth Ox. Yeah, I don't know what it means either. But since Yin is negative and dark, then I guess this year is the year of the Dark Earth Ox. Yup still don't know what it means.

Oh, and to the people who are reviewing, I can't comment on your review if you remain anonymous. I mean you all have pen-names right? This is how Fan Fiction works, correct? Under a pen name, you review other people's work. So the want to change your already fake-name into another fake-name just doesn't make any sense. More privacy, I guess? Whatever, I can't stop you.

So, to Captain Ziggler, I realize now that I did in fact use it too much, and I thank you for the comment. I guess I got carried away with it.

Anyways, it's snowing here in college, so no classes for this day that I'm finishing this up. I would work on this, but at the current moment, Spore is taking over my life.


	7. Chapter 6: The Citadel

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«1.01: _SSV Normandy_: Command Deck: Cockpit»

«or The Citadel»

The _SSV Normandy_ was a frigate and not, by any means, notable. It was merely a small, fast ship used for patrols and scouting missions. But the Normandy was vastly different than any other ship of its class. It is the first human ship to be developed with assistance by members of the Council races, most notably the turians. It is also the first of its kind with the unique Internal Emission Sink Stealth Systems that allowed the Normandy to be virtually invisible to scans and sensors from other vessels.

And a man named Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau, nicknamed "Joker", was the one piloting it. And he was damn proud of it.

Joker expertly piloted the vessel from the massive Relay Station with Shepard gazing out the window nearby, approximately 12 hours after leaving Eden Prime. Joker didn't really know the commander that well, having only talked to him once or twice. Joker did know about the commander's impressive record, which only increased his respect for the man. Still, Joker didn't really care to know more about him. He had a job to do, which was to pilot the Normandy wherever the Captain told him; a job that Joker intended to do with vigor.

"Good timing, Chief," he said as he heard the new member of the Normandy walk up behind him. "I was just about to take us into the Citadel. See all that taxpayer money at work."

Ashley smiled at this and glanced over at the Commander. He was looking out the window, which was completely covered in a soft glow of purple and pink. He wasn't dressed in his hardened battle suit and armor, instead wearing the formal Alliance military suit, the blue wool coat buttoned up the left side of his torso and his blue wool formal pants coming down to his black dress shoes. A gleaming golden metal star hung on the left side of his chest, among other medals and awards he had received. It was the Star of Terra that shone out the most above all the others.

"And there it is," she heard Shepard say. Ashley approached the same window, standing next to the Commander. What she saw took her breath away.

The Normandy was surrounded by light and color, like the universe had been dipped in a palette of purple and pink. To Ashley, it seemed the world outside the window was awash with the light coming from the newborn star Widow. The light, mixing with the colors of the dust of the Serpent Nebula gave off a spectacular show that lifted her spirits up despite the events that transpired before.

Then slowly, a cloud of dust moved away and she saw it: the Citadel, the cultural, political, and financial heart of Citadel Space. The massive space station revolved around a large ring shaped structure called the Presidium. More for the political and financial elites, the Presidium housed the Embassies and representatives of all races of Citadel Space. Out of all of the races in Citadel Space, only the Asari Republics, the Salarian Union and the Turian Hierarchy were members of the Citadel Council.

Ashley squinted against the somewhat bright light and could see the Citadel Tower. In the center of the Presidium was a long, erect shape that spanned the radius of the Presidium ring. She knew that it was there that the Council made their decisions on interstellar policy and law.

But the most magnificent sight the citadel had was the Ward Arms. All six arms were massive, larger than even the largest human Alliance dreadnaught or space station. While the Presidium was more for the political and financial background, the Wards were almost entirely cultural as all members of all races did business in the Arms.

She also saw something else as the Normandy came closer. It was a ship, a massive ship, about the same size as the one they saw on Eden Prime. It had a large glowing oval shape with four 'wings' protruding from it, giving the impression of an eye.

"Look at the size of that ship!" Ashley exclaimed.

"The Destiny Ascension," she heard Kaidan say behind her as he walked up to stand behind Joker. "Flagship of the Citadel fleet."

"Well," Joker remarked. "Size isn't everything." Ashley continued to gaze out of the window, but not really look. She wanted to say something, but what? She hadn't really talked to Joker before now, so what was she allowed to say and what wasn't she allowed to say? She didn't know.

"Ask him why he's so touchy," Shepard whispered softly. Ashley looked over at the Commander and blinked. He didn't look back, but continued to gaze outside.

"Why so touchy, Joker?" Ashley flirtatiously asked. Joker looked like he was about to throw his hands in the air.

"All I'm saying is you need firepower, too!" he exclaimed. Joker laughed and Ashley looked over at Shepard, but he wasn't looking back, though she could see a small smile on his lips. Ashley smiled and turned her excitement back outside.

"Look at that monster!" Ashley exclaimed as the Normandy drifted closer to the behemoth. "Its main gun could rip through the barrier's on any ship in the Alliance fleet!"

"Good thing it's on our side," Kaidan remarked.

"Citadel control, this is _SSV Normandy_, requesting permission to land," Joker said through the comm. channel.

"Stand by for clearance, Normandy," came the reply and a short pause. "Clearance granted. You may begin your approach. Transferring you to an Alliance operator."

Shepard moved away from the window and stood beside Joker, who looked up and smirked. Shepard gave a small smile back.

"Roger, Alliance tower. Normandy out," Joker replied. And with that, Joker began to pull the Normandy into the Docking Bay.

"Williams, Alenko," Shepard said sharply. "The Ambassador wishes to see us as soon as we touch down. Dress in your formal attire."

"Sir!" Both Williams and Alenko saluted sharply and went towards the Quarters to change. Shepard watched them as they walked away, unconsciously fingering the annoying golden piece of metal hanging from his chest. He was not looking forward to meeting the Ambassador.

Not one bit.

\::/::\::/::\::/

"This is an outrage!" Ambassador Donnel Udina nearly roared. 'Respectfully' roared at the holographic images of the three members of the Council. "The Council would step in if the geth attacked a _turian_ colony!"

Shepard and Anderson stood nearby, shifting uncomfortably as the ambassador 'talked' to the Council. On the balcony nearby, Kaidan and Ashley stood looking out over the Presidium. Kaidan wore a similar suit like the one Shepard and Anderson wore, though with the Staff Lieutenant insignia on his shoulder.

Ashley's suit differed slightly only that the suit itself hugged her figure a little tighter and the coat she wore came down and branched outwards at the thigh, making a small dress shape. She shifted uncomfortably against the constraints of the suit. She visibly hated it.

"The turians don't find colonies on borders of the Terminus Systems, _Ambassador_," the Salarian Councilor chided, arms crossed.

"Humanity was well aware of the risks when you went into the Traverse," the Asari Councilor reminded him, attempting to calm the ambassador down. It wasn't that effective.

"What about Saren?" Udina exclaimed. "You can't just ignore a rogue Spectre! I demand action!" Udina accented his point with his hands. Shepard thought he would have momentarily and unconsciously flipped them off for a brief second, but he wasn't paying too much attention.

"You don't get to make demands of the _Council_, ambassador," the Turian Councilor reminded Udina firmly.

"Citadel Security is investigating your charges against Saren," the Asari Councilor said. "We will discuss the C-Sec findings at the hearing, not before." And with that, the orange holograms disappeared, leaving Udina with a look of pained frustration on his face. Shepard took out pack of cigarettes he kept in on belt pocket, as well as his lighter. Lighting it up, he puffed out a small whiff of smoke in front of him.

"Well, _that_ went well," Shepard muttered. Udina turned to the Captain, glaring at Shepard as he did.

"I see you brought _half_ your crew with you, Captain Anderson," Udina spoke, ignoring Shepard.

"Just the ground crew on Eden Prime," Anderson told him. "In case you had any questions."

"I have the mission reports. I assume they're accurate?" Udina asked.

"They are," Anderson replied and gestured to the where the Council stood a moment ago. "Sounds like you convinced the Council to give us an audience."

"They were not happy about it. Saren is their top agent. They don't like him being accused of _treason_," Udina shot a look at Shepard. Shepard merely puffed another whiff of smoke in his general area.

"Saren's a threat to humanity, regardless of what the Council thinks of him," Shepard shot at the ambassador. "If they don't stop him, I will."

"Settle down, Commander," Udina shot back, matching Shepard's glare. "You've already done more than enough to jeopardize your candidacy for the Spectres! The mission on Eden Prime was to prove you could get the job done; instead Nihlus ended up dead, and the beacon was destroyed!"

"None of that was my fault, ambassador!" Shepard took a step forward, gesturing with his smoking cigarette butt. "If you read the mission reports like you said you did, you'd know that!" Anderson grabbed his shoulder before he could take another step and gave a strong squeeze. Not here, not now, it said. Shepard took another look at Udina before turning away sharply and walking towards the balcony.

"The commander is right, ambassador. All of that was Saren's fault, not his," Anderson told Udina. Udina crossed his arms.

"Then we'd better hope the C-Sec investigations turns up evidence to support our accusations," Udina told them. "Otherwise the Council may use this as an excuse to keep you out of the Spectres," Shepard rolled his eyes.

"Their loss," Shepard muttered under his breath. Only Kaidan and Ashley heard him and they smiled, chuckling quietly to themselves.

"Come with me, Captain," Udina continued. "I want to go over a few things before the hearing. Shepard! You and the others can meet us at the Citadel Tower. Top level. I'll make sure you have clearance to get in." With that, the ambassador and the captain strode away towards the door. Ashley watched as the door closed behind them, slowly shaking her head.

"And that's why I hate politicians," Ashley fidgeted as she tried for the umpteenth time to readjust her suit.

"Don't worry," Shepard remarked. "I'm pretty sure at some point in the future, someone is going to punch him in the face."

"Someone? Not you, commander?" Kaidan asked jestingly.

"Yeah, from what we heard, you really don't like him, sir. At all in fact," Ashley remarked.

"No, I don't like him," Shepard chuckled. "I swear, he can be more of a chore than Hannah." Ashley looked at Kaidan questioningly. Kaidan mouthed the words 'foster-parent' and Ashley nodded as she understood.

"But, I realize that in the end, he's just trying to do what's best for the Alliance and Humanity, just like us," Shepard continued. "He's just frustrated all the time because humanity wants more say with the dealings of the Citadel Council and a larger role in shaping interstellar policy."

"Everyone knows that it's only a matter of time before we're given a seat on the Council," Kaidan said.

"Exactly," Shepard agreed. "Udina just thinks that it should happen sooner rather than later. Plus, the Council always preaches that humanity needs to be less independent and 'mingle' more with the other species. But whenever we're in trouble, they don't want to help us out. If I were in his position, I'd be pretty pissed, too."

Ashley began to understand how hard Udina's job was, and slowly began to respect him a little more. Still, she still hated him. Then Ashley tried to imagine if Shepard was the ambassador. She couldn't.

"Regardless, he's a colossal asshole," Shepard took another whiff of his cigarette and blew out another cloud. He threw the butt on the ground and stepped on it. "So, to answer your question: no, I wouldn't punch him in the face."

"No?" Kaidan asked.

"Nope," Shepard said. "I think I'd stab him in his eye if he pulled that kind of shit again." Ashley and Kaidan chuckled loudly until Shepard faced them, a small smile on his face. Their laughter died down slowly.

"Sir, are you serious?" Ashley dared to ask. Shepard's smile broadened and deepened, almost mischievously.

"Shall we?" Shepard asked as he turned away. Ashley and Kaidan looked at each other and couldn't help but wonder if the Commander was serious or not. Shepard, on the other hand, couldn't help but marvel at how fun it was to mess with people.

\::/::\::/::\::/

When someone exited the elevator to enter the Citadel Council chambers, the first thing they would see is a hallway of flowers and beautiful plant life. This hallway would open up to a beautiful fountain that was meant to convey a sense of peace and tranquility. This set up was to remind all incomers that the Council chambers were a place where peaceful negotiations could take place.

The first thing Ashley saw when she exited the elevator, however, were two turians in a heated argument.

"Saren's hiding something! Give me more time! Stall them!" one of the turians nearly shouted. From what Shepard could see, this turian was young, an Agent from C-Sec, who wore an eyepiece that extended from the ear. The turian he was talking to wore more formal clothing, and was obviously his superior officer. The way the second turian stood with this arms crossed and head shaking gave away all of these signs.

"Stall the Council?" the other turian asked incredulously. "Don't be ridiculous. Your investigation is over Garrus."

"But everything on Saren is either classified or restricted. How exactly am I supposed to find any hard evidence on him if I keep on running into these walls?" Garrus asked in a rough voice.

"You don't. You had your chance, and you didn't find anything. Now, your investigation is over," the other turian told him firmly.

"But-!" Garrus began.

"It's over, Garrus. End of discussion," and with that, the other turian turned sharply and walked towards the elevator. He brushed by Shepard momentarily and kept on walking, never looking back. Garrus bristled with anger as he clenched his fists. He then saw Shepard and approached him.

"Commander John Shepard?" Garrus began. "Garrus Vakarian. I was the C-Sec Agent in charge of the investigation into Saren."

"Who was the hard ass?" Shepard asked bluntly.

"That was Executor Venari Pallin, the man in charge of C-Sec," Garrus said contemptuously. "My superior officer. But you're right, I guess. He is kind of a hard ass, as you say."

"You find anything useful against Saren?" Shepard asked. "It sounded like you really wanted to bring him down."

"I don't trust that barefaced turian," Garrus crossed his arms vehemently. "Something about him rubs me the wrong way. But he's a spectre everything he touches is classified. I couldn't find anything solid. But I know he's up to something. As you humans say, I feel it in my gut."

"I think the Council's ready for us, commander," Kaidan chimed in.

"Good luck, commander," Garrus said. "Maybe the Council will listen to you." Shepard nodded and walked past him. Shepard later looked over his shoulder and saw Garrus hurriedly walking out. Shepard smiled to himself. The turian was probably off trying to find evidence on Saren.

"Look at that bug thing," Ashley said, pointing towards a bug-like creature working on a console. "What is it?"

"One of the keepers," Kaidan told her. "They were here long before the asari discovered the citadel. So far, all they seem to do is make sure the citadel is in pristine condition, fixing whatever needs fixing. To go near them is against the law, as the council thinks that they shouldn't be disturbed."

"Huh," Ashley remarked. She fidgeted as she tried to rearrange her clothing. Again.

Shepard walked up the stairs towards the podium, seeing Captain Anderson waiting for them.

"The hearing's already started, come on," Anderson told them quickly as they walked up the stairs. When he reached the top, Shepard could see the ambassador standing in front of the council, in person this time. He also saw a large holographic image planted next to the council. It was the figure of a turian, with his arms crossed and head held high.

Shepard guessed that he was Saren.

"The geth attack is a matter of _some_ concern," the asari councilor was saying. "But there was nothing to indicate that Saren was involved in any way." Her voice was soft and melodious, attempting to cool Udina's anger.

"The investigation by Citadel Security turned up no evidence to support your charge of treason," the turian councilor's rough voice reminded. This didn't satisfy Udina.

"An eyewitness saw him kill Nihlus in cold blood," Udina held his anger in check this time.

"We've read the Eden Prime reports, ambassador," the salarian councilor said. "The testimony of one traumatized dock worker is hardly compelling proof."

"I resent these accusations!" Saren said roughly. "Nihlus was a fellow spectre, and a _friend_."

"That just let you catch him off guard!" Anderson pointed an accusing finger at Saren. Shepard looked at Anderson's eyes and saw hatred. Complete and utter hatred. It was clear to Shepard now that Anderson knows Saren on a more 'personal' level.

"Captain Anderson!" Saren said amusingly, as if he had just noticed him standing there. "You always seem to be involved when humanity makes false charges against me. And this must be your protégé, Commander Shepard. The one who let the beacon get destroyed." Shepard looked at Saren right in his eyes.

"The mission to Eden Prime was top secret," Shepard told him. "The only way you could know about the beacon was if you were there." Shepard was trying to keep himself calm, but the more Saren looked down at him, the harder it was.

"With Nihlus gone, his files passed on to me," Saren answered. "I read the Eden Prime report. I was unimpressed. But what can you expect…" Saren shrugged. "…from a human." Shepard lost it.

"Saren despises humanity!" Shepard shouted. "That's why he attacked Eden Prime!" Saren glared violently.

"Your species needs to learn its place, Shepard," Saren said slowly and strongly. "You're not ready to join the council. You're not even ready to join the _Spectres_!"

"I think I am!" Shepard shouted back. "Want to come down here a prove me wrong?"

"He has no right to say whether or not Shepard can join the Spectres! That's not his decision!" Udina shot a glare at Shepard. Keep out of this, it said.

"Shepard's admission into the Spectres is not the purpose of this meeting," the asari councilor reminded Saren.

"This meeting has no purpose! The humans are wasting your time, councilors, and _mine_!" Saren exclaimed.

"So, you got better things to do than hide behind the council? Would you like to share what they are exactly?" Shepard shouted. Anderson gripped Shepard's shoulder.

"There's still one outstanding issue," Anderson told everyone. "Commander Shepard's vision. It may have been triggered by the beacon." Shepard shot him a look. Shepard didn't think it was a good idea to bring that up. Saren chuckled.

"Are we allowing dreams into evidence now?" Saren chuckled some more. Shepard wanted to stab the smug turian. "How can I defend my innocence against this kind of testimony?"

"I agree," the turian councilor spoke up. "Our judgments must be based on facts and evidence. Not wild imaginings and reckless speculation."

"Do you have anything else to say, Commander Shepard?" the salarian councilor asked. Shepard sighed, took out another cigarette and lit it. He purposefully blew a cloud of smoke at them.

"You made your decision," was all Shepard said. He turned away and walked off the podium. As he walked away, he heard their answer.

"The council has found no evidence of any connection between Saren and the geth. Ambassador, your petition to have him disbarred from the Spectres is denied," he heard the asari councilor.

"I'm glad to see justice was served," he heard Saren say. Shepard turned and looked at Saren in the eye. He pointed a finger at Saren and cut a line across his own neck with his thumb. Saren smiled and then disappeared.

"This meeting is adjourned."

"It was a mistake bringing you into that hearing, Captain. You and Saren have too much history. It made the council question our motives. And you, Shepard," Udina glowered.

"Yes?" Shepard asked innocently.

"What were you thinking!" Udina exclaimed. "Blowing up in front of the Council! We are trying to get you into Spectres and just for that outburst, they may ban you from it altogether!"

"I wanted to tell them to fuck off," Shepard said simply, taking another whiff. "Be glad I didn't."

Udina gritted his teeth.

"Besides, they had already made their decision before we ever got there. And they let Saren go free because we didn't have any evidence," Shepard said. Udina nodded. He was right.

"Still, Captain Anderson…" Udina didn't need to finish.

"I know Saren," Anderson told them. "He's working with the geth for one reason: to exterminate the entire human race! Every colony we have is at risk! Every world we control is in danger, even Earth isn't safe!" Shepard wanted to know more about what happened between Saren and Anderson, but he knew that now wasn't the time for it.

"The Council isn't going to help us now," Shepard noted. "We'll have to do it ourselves for now."

"As a Spectre," Udina rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "He's virtually untouchable. We need some way to expose him."

"What about Garrus, that C-Sec investigator? We saw him arguing with the Executor" Kaidan asked helpfully.

"That's right!" Ashley exclaimed. "He was asking for more time to finish his investigation. Seems like he was close to finding something on Saren." Shepard thought for a moment.

"Any idea where we can find him? We need to know if he found out anything," Shepard asked.

"I have a contact in C-Sec who might help us. His name is Harkin," Udina was going to say something else but Anderson cut in.

"Forget it! They suspended Harkin last month, drinking on the job," Anderson said, disgusted. "I won't waste my time with that loser."

"You won't have to!" Udina told him. "I don't want the Council to use your past history with Saren to ignore anything we turn up. Shepard will handle it." Shepard furrowed his brow.

"You can't just cut Captain Anderson out of this investigation," Shepard said. "He has every right to be here as I do."

"No, Shepard," Anderson sighed. "The ambassador's right. I need to step aside." Shepard could see the pain in his eyes. Shepard nodded.

"I need to take care of some business," Udina rubbed his forehead. "Captain, meet me in my office later." He turned and walked away towards the elevator.

"Ass," Shepard muttered, throwing his cigarette down on the ground, and stepping on it.

"He may be an ass, but he's right," Anderson said. "You can probably find Harkin getting drunk in Chora's Den. It'd be worth talking to him, just don't believe everything you hear." Shepard smiled.

"Chora's Den," Shepard grinned jokingly. "It's been awhile since I've been there. I wonder if Jenna is still working there?"

"Remember, Shepard," Anderson warned him. "Your there on official business. Don't get sidetracked."

"Yeah, yeah, sir, I hear ya," Shepard rubbed the back of his head, cracking his neck. "Don't mix business with pleasure. I got you. Don't worry about it. We're all carrying a weapon so we should be fine. We'll get back to you if anything comes up." He turned and began to walk away. Ashley and Kaidan saluted sharply before following Shepard.

"Shepard!" Anderson called after him. "You going to be okay?"

Shepard turned around and smiled.

"What you don't trust me?" Shepard asked.

"Not in the slightest," Anderson replied. Shepard smiled, gave a small salute with two fingers, and set off. Anderson crossed his arms and watched them enter the elevator. He sighed. All he could do now was wait.

* * *

So, we met Garrus. Nice. It's all coming together. When the salarian councilor asked Shepard if he had anything more to say, I was tempted to have him say "Fuck you," but decided against it. It would have been funny as hell, but I don't think they would let him into the Spectre's after that. I guess I played it safe.

My email address is currently dead so if you send me any messages, I won't get them. On the bright side, I switched from Cox to Verizon Fios so it's all good! And no, I won't give you my name so you'll find me on Facebook. I don't want people I don't know friending me. I know most of you might respect my privacy and don't mean to group you with them, but that's the way it is. Unless I wrote my name somewhere I wasn't aware of, then whatever.

No, I don't condone smoking. If you do already, you know it all, I won't preach to you.

Garrus calls Saren a 'bareface.' In Turian history, this refers back during the Unification War. During the war, different factions and clans were fighting against each other. They would denote which clan they belonged to by facial markings, which you should find on all turians. A bareface was someone who didn't have any facial markings. This usually meant that any clan shouldn't trust the turian. Saren doesn't have any facial markings, the only turian we've seen so far to not have any. Just FYI.

So I finished Spore in about 3 hours. Could play the Space Stage but that would take 3 generations, I think. Can't wait for StarCraft II.


	8. Extra: View From Heaven

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«Extra: The Citadel: Upper Wards: Balcony Near the Upper Markets»

«or View From Heaven»

Shepard and his teammates had left the Council chambers to find a drunken loser named Harkin. It was a possibility that Harkin knew where a turian named Garrus Vakarian, which would in turn lead them to evidence against Saren. Time was of the essence, but that didn't mean that they couldn't take a break every now and then.

They had entered the Wards from the elevator and walked down a hallway. Exiting the hallway, they found a balcony with a rather…scenic view. Ashley was drawn to see what was there and before she knew it, she had walked away from the group and stood on the balcony looking over the Ward arms.

The view was short of breathtaking. If she had been amazed by the view of the nebula and the Citadel when the Normandy was approaching, she was even more amazed by what she saw in front of her. The Ward arms were enormous and protruded from the sides of her vision, nearly disappearing in the distance.

What really struck her were how many lights there were. Moving lights denoted people moving here and there. It seemed that each light represented a human or alien life. And there were billions of the all around.

"Big place," Kaidan said as he leaned against the railing beside her.

"Is that your professional opinion, Lieutenant?" Ashley asked jokingly. Shepard chuckled beside her.

"I don't think anyone would have a professional opinion if they saw _this_ for the first time," Shepard remarked. Ashley nodded.

"This place makes Jump Zero look like a port-o-john," Ashley said.

"Jump Zero is big," Kaidan remarked. "But this is on a whole other scale! How big do you think the Ward Arms are?"

"Big enough," Shepard replied. They continued to gaze out towards the endless space of the city. It was a city filled with humans and aliens alike, living together under one roof. As Ashley gaped at the awe-inspiring sight, a thought came to her.

"The Council represents more races than I thought," Ashley commented.

"Yeah," Kaidan agreed. "No wonder they're careful with newcomers."

"Maybe they're scared," Shepard said as he leaned forward. Ashley looked at him incredulously.

"Sir, they have much more ships than we do," Ashley said. "They command half of the galaxy. I don't think they're scared of us!"

"Maybe," Shepard said. "But think of this for a second. Around 2150, the colony on the planet Cassandra began a rebellion against the Systems Alliance, stating that the Systems Alliance was corrupt and attempting to gain control of all humanity by force of arms, creating an empire akin to a Dictatorship. It was bullshit, of course. They were just a colony that wanted to tell everyone how big they were and how they didn't need the Alliance to hold their hands anymore. Now, the Systems Alliance could have bombed the place to hell, but that wouldn't have made them look good at all. But they couldn't ignore them, because that would make the Alliance look like they didn't care about the needs of its citizens. And it was about a year after the Systems Alliance Charter had been signed, so it wasn't the best timing."

Ashley began to see where he was going with this.

"The Council is scared of us because of how they will be viewed by all the other species," Shepard continued. "If they ignore us, the other members will begin to think that they don't want any more species to join the council, which wouldn't bode well for their best interests. On the other hand, if they treat us with care and devotion, it will seem like favoritism, and the other species won't like that. We could very well topple their government by just being here if they make the wrong decision. So instead, they play the part of the den mother: they take care of us until we can walk on our own, but once we can, they practically ignore us. The only way that we can be part of the galactic circle is if we prove ourselves worthy of their attention."

Ashley began to see the logic behind that, and nodded.

"Besides, we won't be kept out forever," Shepard said, straightening. "We've got beautiful oceans, beautiful women, and a wonderful culture. Everything they're looking for in a new species." Ashley rolled her eyes.

"If you think you can get me in a dress and high-heel boots, I want dinner first," Ashley said nonchalantly. Shepard cocked an eyebrow and Ashley realized whom she just said it to. "Sir!" She straightened up immediately and avoided eye contact. Her cheeks burned bright red.

"I think you're gonna have to do more than that!" Kaidan said, laughing. Ashley's cheeks burned even brighter. Kaidan wasn't helping her.

Shepard eyed her for a moment. Running a hand through his short hair, he chuckled, hand momentarily covering his eyes.

"Ease off her, Lieutenant," Shepard said. "I couldn't see her in a dress anyways."

"Damn straight you can't!" Ashley folded her arms.

"Ready when you are sir!" Kaidan said. Shepard motioned for them to follow and they did. Hands in pocket, back straight, he looked very dignified to Ashley. Full of pride.

"By the way," Kaidan spoke up. "What happened to the Cassandra colony?"

"Attacked by Thresher Maws," Shepard said without looking back. "By the time the Alliance arrived, they were all dead, the colony in ruins."

* * *

I was looking for a way to fit this into the story. I couldn't. So I thought that every now and then I would write a little extra part of the story. These extras are basically one-shots and don't really have anything to do with the story itself. They might be more humorous, dealing with how the crewmembers deal with each other. Hope it goes well.


	9. Chapter 7: Happy Little Boozer

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«1.02: The Citadel: Lower Wards: Chora's Den»

«or Happy Little Boozer»

The assassin was breathing hard. His partner was dead. He crouched with his back against the wall, waiting for his assault rifle to cool down. He had overheated it during the fight. He had no other weapons on him. He should have brought more. It seemed like a routine mission. Find the target, Kill the target and get the payment. They said he wouldn't be armed. They said he would be an 'easy kill.'

"Evening," Commander John Shepard remarked as he planted his gun against the assassin's head.

They were wrong.

They were almost to Chora's Den when the first shot came. It ricocheted off of the wall behind Shepard. These would-be assassins weren't professionals. After they had taken out the first attacker, Shepard merely waited. Waited for the second one to make a mistake. When he heard the sound of overheating, Shepard ordered Ashley and Kaidan to go around the long way while he went the short way. Quickly and quietly, Shepard made it up the assassin and found him holding tightly to his gun.

The rest was easy.

"Drop the weapon!" Ashley ordered as she pointed her pistol at the turian. Reluctantly, the would-be assassin did as he was told, dropping the weapon to the ground.

"Now, stand up slowly!" Kaidan ordered as well. The assassin raised his arms and stood up. With a sudden movement, he used his biotics and blasted Kaidan and Ashley back. He tried to run, but Shepard was quicker. He slid his foot in front of the coward, tripping him. The hallway was small, so the assassin's head slammed against the wall, disorienting him momentarily. Shepard then grabbed his shoulder and pulled. Knife in his right hand, he punched the attacker in the stomach with it and slammed him against the support. Far below, the fast moving transport cars moved with startling speed. When the assassin returned to his senses, he not only realized where he was, but also that his target was holding a knife against his throat while holding him down with his free hand.

"Chief! Lieutenant! Talk to me!" Shepard yelled.

"I'm good!" Kaidan staggered up.

"Just got the wind knocked out of me!" Ashley stood up, massaging her shoulder where it hit the wall. She then fidgeted, trying to rearrange her suit. Again, it didn't work.

Shepard turned his attention to the turian who thought it was a good idea to attack him. There was an evil glint in his eyes that shown brighter than his medal ever could.

"Here's how we'll do things," he said slowly. "I'm going to cut off your balls, and then I'm going to ask you some questions." The turian began to pale. Or at least, Shepard thought he was, he could never really tell with turians.

"Don't you have that the other way around?" the turian voiced hoarsely and gulped.

"Nope. Pretty sure I don't," Shepard smiled. He moved the knife away from his neck and…down.

"Wait! I'll tell you whatever you need to know!" the turian screamed.

"Who're you working for?" Shepard asked quickly. "Who hired you?"

"It was-" He couldn't say any more. Shepard heard a gunshot and then the turians head jerked, a trail of blood flowing out where the entry wound was. A second later, his head exploded, spraying blood and brains everywhere.

Shepard quickly ducked towards the side and down behind the support. He checked on Ashley and Kaidan but they were already behind cover. He then peeked up to see who was firing at them. He couldn't see; the hallway was too dark. He made eye contact with Ashley and motioned her to move around to her left. To Kaidan, he motioned behind Shepard. He wanted answers and he wanted this attacker alive. Kaidan and Ashley would catch him from both sides.

He signaled three, two, and one.

Shepard jumped up and fired towards the attacker. Ashley and Kaidan roadie ran around the center, keeping low to the ground, while still keeping up maximum speed. Shepard continued to fire, pausing long enough to keep the heat level down.

He heard a second shot come from the attacker and Shepard ducked. He heard the round go into the wall and Shepard glanced behind him. He could see the hole it made. Then a part of the wall exploded outward, spraying debris towards him. It was a small explosion, but it was still dangerous. Shepard rolled away and stood up, ready to fire again.

"Clear!" he heard Ashley shout, and he relaxed. He ran to where the two were.

"You find anything?" he asked, though he knew the answer when he saw them.

"Nothing, sir," Kaidan told him. "The sniper ran off after the second round."

"He left this behind, sir," Ashley hefted the sniper rifle and tossed it towards Shepard, who caught it with ease. He popped the magazine out and checked the projectiles.

"High Explosive Rounds," Shepard said. "Made to detonate after a certain amount of time after it's fired. At this close range, it detonated after it entered the turian's skull."

"Nasty stuff," Kaidan noted.

"But this is good news," Shepard said as he dropped the rifle.

"Which is?" Ashley asked.

"It means we're pissing off somebody," Shepard said smiling. He didn't know it, but he was covered in the blood of the turian. "And I'll bet that somebody is Saren."

\::/::\::/::\::/

The krogan made his way through the markets, pushing through people who didn't move away fast enough. Normally, he'd challenge any of these cowards to a fight, but the krogan didn't have time now. He had to tell Saren that the pathetic weaklings he called assassins were dead. Killed by that Shepard.

He had watched the battle from the shadows. He was to make sure that the assassins did what they were supposed to do and then make sure they never told anyone of it. But they were amateurs and their work was sloppy.

Shepard on the other hand, was different. He had never seen a human work that way before. Every move was instinctive, yet calculated. As Jarrod watched, he began to realize that Shepard was a worthy opponent for any proud Krogan he might come across.

He might even be strong enough to take Saren head on.

The krogan smiled to himself wickedly, and a human quickly ran out of his way, almost wailing. This Shepard would be an interesting opponent. A very interesting opponent indeed.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Battlemaster Urdnot Wrex was beginning to find the young krogan in front of him rather annoying. This sniveling little lapdog was attempting to stand in Wrex's way. Arrogant punk.

"Back off, Wrex," the krogan bouncer warned him. "Fist told us to take you down the next time you came in here."

"What are you waiting for?" Wrex gestured around him. "I'm standing right here. This is Fist's only chance. If he's smart, he'll take it."

"Fist's not coming out, Wrex!" the bouncer exclaimed, his voice barely wavering. "End of story!" Wrex took a step forward and towered over the little whelp.

"The story is just beginning," Wrex smiled to himself. He stare intently again at the young krogan, then turned quickly away with a grunt. Walking quickly, the hardened krogan nearly ran into a group of humans.

"Out of my way, humans! I have no quarrel with you!" Wrex grunted. Shepard merely stepped out of his way, arms raised. There was no fear of Wrex in his eyes. Wrex found that interesting, but didn't let it bother him. He had a job to plan out.

"What was that about?" Kaidan asked.

"Who knows," Ashley shrugged. "Let's just try to not get caught in the middle."

"Agreed," Shepard nodded; still wiping some of the blood from his face with a napkin Ashley gave him. He had gotten rid of some of it outside, but it was hard to wash off. He needed a shower. Badly.

"I see why this place is so popular," Kaidan spoke aloud. "It's got quite the…uh…view." Ashley and Shepard looked at Kaidan, who reddened.

"Hey, lieutenant," Ashley said. "Put your tongue back in your mouth before you trip on it." Ashley bristled and Shepard just smiled at Kaidan. Kaidan shrugged.

"A million light years from where humanity began and we walk into a bar filled with men drooling over half-naked women shaking their assess on a stage!" Ashley muttered. "I can't decide if that's funny or sad."

"What, you don't think people came here because of the food?" Kaidan suggested. Shepard burst out laughing. These guys were interesting. Ashley bristled with anger again, fidgeting as she once again tried to pull at her suit.

Shepard walked up to the bartender nearby and got his attention. He smiled when he recognized the face.

"Excuse me, Jenna," he said flirtatiously.

"Hi, commander," Jenna answered, batting her eyelashes at him. "What can I do you for?" Ashley rolled her eyes and blushed.

"I'm looking for a man named Harkin," Shepard said. "He's a C-Sec officer. Have you seen him around, my dear?" Shepard leaned closer to her. Jenna leaned close as well until they were nearly touching. Ashley looked away angrily.

"I haven't seen him," Jenna whispered. "Though, I may be persuaded otherwise…" she let the thought dangle in the air.

"But you don't know where he is, do you?" Shepard asked. Jenna's smile flinched.

"No," she said, straightening up. "You should as Lucas. He probably knows."

"Thank you, my dear," Shepard blew her a kiss and walked towards Lucas. Ashley trailed behind him.

"You flirt with every girl you come across?" Ashley asked curtly.

"No," Shepard said. "Just the ones that will give me information." Ashley nodded angrily.

"Sure you didn't sleep with them?" Ashley shot back quietly. Shepard quickly turned on her and looked at her right in the eye. It was then that Ashley realized just how tall Shepard was. Ashley also realized that she went too far. The look on Shepard's face was filled with…disgust. He was offended by her comment.

"I've never touched any of the girls I used as informants," Shepard told her quietly. "I merely use them for information. People tell women everything, whether they want to or not. If they give me something useful, I buy them something nice. A necklace, bracelet or something to make them feel better about their jobs. Does that answer your question?" Ashley gulped.

"I apologize, sir," Ashley whispered. Kaidan pretended not to watch the exchange. "For speaking out of turn." Shepard seemed to accept this.

"Apology accepted, Williams," Shepard whispered. Then he smiled. "Besides, it's okay to be jealous." He turned towards Lucas before Ashley could reply.

"Jealous? Jealous!" Ashley exclaimed, face reddening with anger. Or maybe embarrassment. "I am not jealous of that hussy!"

"He's not listening anymore, Chief," Kaidan said. Ashley breathed deeply and firmly crossed her arms, muttering to herself. Shepard was having a conversation with Lucas.

"Hey, Lucas," Shepard said.

"Hey, commander!" Lucas said happily. "Back from the warzone?"

"In a manner of speaking," Shepard said.

"I heard about Eden Prime. Sad shit," Lucas shook his head.

"Yeah…" Shepard whispered.

"So what can I do for you today, commander?" Lucas said.

"I'm looking for a C-Sec Officer by the name of Harkin," Shepard said.

"That ass? Caught him trying to cop a feel with one of the dancers," Lucas shook his head. Then he leaned forward. "But I don't seem to recall where he is…" Shepard shook his head and placed 50 credits on the table. Lucas was a greedy bastard.

"I'm starting to remember…" Lucas looked at Shepard sideways, feigning ignorance. Shepard placed another 50 credits on top of the last one.

"It's coming back…" Lucas smiled. Until Shepard pointed his gun at him.

"Does this jog your memory?" Shepard asked. Lucas was a very good informant of his, though very greedy. He needed to remind him not to get too greedy.

"Yeah, he's sitting over there at the table, by the entrance to Fist's office," Lucas stammered. Shepard kept the gun there for a moment, and then placed it back in his holster, checking to see if the krogan bouncer saw anything. The krogan was busy looking at an asari.

"Thank you, Lucas," Shepard said nicely, all smiles. Lucas smiled back, as if it was just part of the routine. "How's the wife?"

"Pregnant again," Lucas sighed. Shepard winced and placed another 50 credits on the table. Lucas smiled.

"I'll see you later, Lucas!" Shepard walked on, Lucas waving to him happily as if he never had a gun pointed at him.

Ashley looked at this exchange with growing surprise. This was a very different Shepard than before. More…playful. Happy, even. I guess, in a bar such as Chora's Den, anyone can be themselves without reproach. Ashley sighed. Every time she thought she was beginning to know the Commander, he does something unexpected that throws off her reasoning. She followed him closely.

Shepard saw Harkin lounging on the chair, very drunk. The group walked up to Harkin. His drunken eyes only saw Ashley.

"Hey there, sweetheart!" Harkin called out to her, gesturing with a glass of…whatever was in it. "Looking for some fun? I gotta say that soldier getup looks real good on that bod of yours! Why don't you sit your sweet little ass down beside old Harkin. Have a drink! See where this goes…" Harkin chuckled to himself while Ashley bristled with anger and Shepard was about to punch this man in the face.

"I'd rather drink a cup of acid after chewing on a razor blade," Ashley shot back.

"You trying to hurt my feelings?" Harkin pouted. "You gotta do better than that! After 20 years with C-Sec, I've been called every name in the book, princess." Ashley stepped forward and placed her foot between Harkin's legs. Hard and dangerously close.

"Call me princess again and you'll be picking your teeth off the floor!" Ashley glared at Harkin.

"Okay, okay! Just relax! What exactly do you want?" Harkin's attention was now on Shepard looking down on him.

"We're looking for a C-Sec officer named Garrus," Shepard said. "Seen him?" Ashley removed her foot as Harkin answered.

"Garrus you say?" Harkin chuckled. "You must be one of Anderson's crew. Poor bastard's still trying to bring Saren down, huh? I know where Garrus is, but you gotta tell me something first. Did the Captain let you in on his _big_ secret?" Shepard's eyes narrowed. He'd probably have to play along to get any information.

"What secret?" Shepard dared to ask.

"The Captain used to be a Spectre!" Harkin exclaimed. "Didn't know that, did you? It was all very hush-hush. The first human to be given that honor and then he blew it. Screwed up his mission so bad they kicked him out. Of course, he blames _Saren_. Says the turian set him up."

Shepard blinked. Anderson was a spectre?

"Why should I believe a drunk like you?" Shepard asked.

"Fine," Harkin shrugged. "Ask Anderson. I'd bet he'd tell you. He's too stupid and proud to lie right to your face!"

Anderson used to be a Spectre? This explained a lot: the hatred towards Saren as well as why he's involved in this mission in the first place. There were problems with this story, but most of the questions were answered. This, however, was not the time or place for it.

"Just tell me where Garrus went," Shepard forced.

"Garrus was sniffing around Dr. Michel's office," Harkin said, taking a sip from his glass. "She runs a Med Clinic on the other side of the Wards. Last I heard he was going back there."

"I'm out of here," Shepard turned away, motioning for Ashley and Kaidan to follow. He heard Harkin say something else, but Shepard didn't care. He waved good-bye to Jenna and walked out into the fresh, clean air.

"Why didn't Captain Anderson tell us he used to be a Spectre?" Ashley asked incredulously.

"Maybe it's not true," Kaidan ventured. "Harkin's an ass. Bet he's just messing with our heads."

"Maybe," Shepard said. "Though it does explain a few things. We'll find out in due time. For now, we have a more pressing issue."

"The Med Clinic," Kaidan said. "We're heading there?"

"Right," Shepard said. "Maybe we'll meet up with Garrus. Come on."

They walked on in silence, left to their own thoughts and understandings. Shepard thinking about the Med Clinic and Captain Anderson, Ashley thinking about Shepard and Captain Anderson, while Kaidan was thinking a certain special someone he met during Brain Camp. He thought of her a lot lately.

* * *

Wow, I finished this in about 2 hours after I released the last chapter. I think I had more fun with this chapter, because Shepard was just so funny. I know I'm twisting the story with Jenna but this is a Fanfic; I can do whatever the hell I want with it. Jenna will be important later on in the story, so don't forget her.

Look up on youtube Happy Little Boozer by Korpiklaani. Hilarious song and great band. Thought it fit the scene and Harkin.

As I'm finishing this, I've just listened to two songs back to back: Somewhere and Forgiven by Within Temptation. They're so sad and yet so powerful. Can't really relate to them, really as Somewhere is about the agony of not knowing whether a loved one is alright and Forgiven is about, after doing so much for a loved one and being hurt by them, summoning the will to forgive them because you still love them. None of which I've ever had any experience with. Still, I love these songs so much that I'm pretty sure my heart flutters when I start to listen to them.

Don't know why I put that in there. Guess I was just touched by the music.

Till next time.


	10. Chapter 8: Garrus and Wrex

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«1.03: The Citadel: Upper Wards: Med Clinic»

«or Garrus and Wrex»

"I didn't tell anyone, I swear!" Dr. Michel shouted, fear gripping her face. Garrus hid behind a column nearby, pistol aimed and ready. Quietly peering around the corner, he wanted to take a shot, but the four thugs were too close to the doctor. Garrus face contorted in a snarl. If any other C-Sec officer was here, they may belittle him for going behind their backs and breaking regulations. But this was the only way to get any hard evidence against Saren. Saren wasn't going to play by the rules so why should he? Garrus needed to bring the smug bareface down and if they throw him behind bars for it, so be it. But first, he needed Dr. Michel alive.

"That was smart, doc," one thug told her. "Now if Garrus comes around, you stay smart! Keep your mouth shut or we'll…" The thug stopped in mid-sentence, looking past the doctor. Snarling, he ran up and grabbed her, holding the gun to her head.

"Who're you!" he shouted, and Dr. Michel's face paled.

"This a bad time?" Shepard said, walking forward, hands by his side. As Garrus watched, he could see the other two members of his squad outside the door.

"Stay back!" the thug ordered. "Unless you want to see this doctor's brains on the floor!" Dr. Michel quailed. Shepard's eyes darted around the room. Four men, all carrying heavy weapons. Shepard saw Garrus crouched down on the ground to his left, behind a pillar.

"Hey! Are you listening to me?" the thug shouted. It was then that Shepard realized that the thug was talking to him. "I'll kill this bitch if I have to!" Shepard didn't doubt that. Shepard eye's locked with Dr. Michel's pleading, tearful eyes. Shepard frowned.

"If you kill her," Shepard growled. "You won't leave this room alive. I promise you that." Garrus peered carefully around the corner, waiting for his chance.

"What are you-!" the thug didn't finish as Garrus came around and shot him in his temple. The thug's eyes widened and he collapsed to the ground, blood pouring from the wound. Dr. Michel screamed and Shepard drew his gun.

"Idiot," Shepard muttered as he did. Garrus stood up, pistol drawn and walked cautiously towards Dr. Michel, who was transfixed in fear. The three other thugs backed away slowly, drawing their weapons.

When they heard the gunshot, Ashley and Kaidan ran in, ready to fight. Shepard leapt over the railing and stood in front of Dr. Michel, followed by Ashley. Kaidan backed up Garrus as he led Dr. Michel behind the cover of a nearby overturned table.

The three thugs backed towards the back of the room, eyes filling with fear. Shepard and Ashley stood side by side in the middle of the room, close to possible cover points and faced the thugs. Kaidan and Garrus stayed behind cover to protect Dr. Michel.

An uneasy silence filled the room as the two sides pointed their weapons at each other.

"Drop your weapons," Shepard growled, making eye contact with the thug he faced. The thug gulped.

"You-you think we're afraid of you? Huh? You think you're afraid!" the thug yelled.

"I know you are," Shepard growled back. "Now drop your weapons."

Ashley and Kaidan slowly recognized this scene. After Shepard was released from the hospital after Akuze, he was sent on a mission to subdue a crazed L2 holding an infant hostage. Shepard had asked the L2 to lower his weapon and come quietly three times. After the third time, he killed the L2.

This was the second time.

"We aren't afraid of you, you bastard!" the thug screamed back.

"Then you're stupid," Shepard growled again. "Now, drop your weapons."

"Fuck you!" the thug screamed and fired a round. The round screamed through the air.

It screamed past Shepard's right-scarred eye.

He didn't even blink.

The bullet created a hole in the monitor, cracking it.

Shepard squeezed the trigger and a bullet hole appeared in the thug's forehead. The thug fell back, dropping his weapon as Shepard spun behind a pillar to his left.

Ashley fired a round that penetrated one of the thug's eyes. Gritting her teeth, she ran behind cover as the thug she killed fell to the ground, his eye socket a bloody mess.

The last thug roared and fired his assault rifle, hitting nothing as tears of fear and frustration flowed down his cheeks. Kaidan rolled across the floor, hearing bullets ricocheting on the ground around him. He rolled to a kneeling position and aimed.

The thug fired at least 30 rounds.

Kaidan only fired one.

As the last thug fell to the ground, Shepard peered around the corner and sighed. All dead. Pity, they may have known something. He holstered his pistol.

"Sound off," Shepard said.

"I'm alright," Ashley said, getting up and fidgeting with her suit. Again.

"Give me a minute," Kaidan said as he leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. He had come pretty close to death. He needed a minute.

Garrus stood up, smiling broadly. Finally, he had seen the famous John Shepard in action. He didn't disappoint.

"Perfect timing, Shepard!" Garrus exclaimed, happily. "Gave me a clear shot at that bastard!" Shepard looked at him.

"That was a pretty good shot," Shepard said. "But you could have hit the hostage if your aim was any worse." Garrus's smile faded.

"Well, there wasn't time to think! I just reacted! I didn't mean to-" Garrus exclaimed.

"You don't need to say anything to me," Shepard said, running a hand through his hair. "However you did it doesn't really matter in the long run, just as long as you did what you intended to do. You intended to kill the bastard to save the doctor and that's what you did. Good work." Garrus beamed with pride.

"Thank you commander," Garrus said and turned to the doctor. "Dr. Michel, are you hurt?"

"No, I'm alright," Michel fixed her hair. "Thanks to you. All of you."

"Doctor," Shepard addressed her. "I'm Commander John Shepard, and these are Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams and Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko. I know the men threatened you, but if you tell us who they worked for, we can protect you."

"They worked for Fist," Dr. Michel began. "They wanted to shut me up; to keep me from telling Garrus about the quarian."

"What quarian?" Shepard asked, intrigued. Michel began fidgeting with her fingers and averted her eyes, thinking back.

"A few days ago, a quarian came into my office," Michel spoke slowly. "She'd been shot, but she wouldn't tell me who did it. I could tell she was scared, probably on the run. She asked me about the Shadow Broker."

"The Shadow Broker?" Ashley asked.

"A necessary evil in galactic politics," Kaidan explained. "Know one knows who he or she or they are, but they are buy or sell information to the highest bidder. He isn't a threat to anyone but is used mostly as a resource. Please, go on, Doctor."

"The quarian wanted to get in touch with the Shadow Broker so she could trade information for a safe place to hide," Michel continued her story. "I put her in contact with Fist, the owner of Chora's Den. He's an agent for the Shadow Broker."

"Not anymore," Garrus cut in. "Now he works for Saren and the Shadow Broker is too happy about that."

"I'll bet," Shepard muttered.

"Fist betrayed the Shadow Broker?" Michel asked incredulously. "That's stupid, even for him! Saren must have made him quite the offer!"

"That quarian must have something Saren wants," Garrus surmised. "Something worth crossing the Shadow Broker to get."

"A link between Saren and the geth," Shepard agreed. "Did the quarian say anything about it?"

"She did! She said the information she wanted to trade had something to do with the geth," Michel told them.

"She must have something that links the two together," Garrus said, his anger rising. "There's no way the Council can ignore this!"

"I guess we should pay good old Fist a visit," Shepard said, smiling. Garrus stopped him before he moved.

"Wait, Commander," Garrus said. "This is your show. But I want to bring Saren down as much as you do! I'm coming with you!"

"Why?" Shepard asked.

"I couldn't find the proof I needed in my investigation, but I knew what was really going on! Saren is a traitor to the Council and a _disgrace_ to my people!" Garrus shouted. Shepard smiled.

"Well, looks like I can't stop you, can I?" Shepard told him and Garrus nodded.

"You know, we aren't the only ones going after Fist," Garrus said. "The Shadow Broker hired a krogan bounty hunter named Wrex to take him out."

"Yeah, we saw him in the bar," Ashley stated. Shepard rubbed the small beard on his chin thoughtfully. A krogan bounty hunter. He remembered this Wrex, having seen him in Chora's Den. Shepard knew a little about krogan physiology: Wrex was much older than any other krogan Shepard had met before, due to his reddish complexion which was different than the yellow skin of the younger krogan. This Wrex was

"A krogan might come in handy," Shepard stated.

"Last I heard," Garrus said. "He was at the C-Sec Academy."

"What was he doing there?" Kaidan asked.

"Fist accused him of making threats. We brought Wrex in for a little talk. If you hurry, you might catch him at the academy before he leaves," Garrus replied. Shepard smiled a very broad smile.

"Well, let's pick him up," Shepard said.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Wrex folded his arms, taking stock of the men that surrounded him. Two turians and a human. He could've easily torn them to pieces, but he was in the C-Sec Academy, the heart of C-Sec itself. There was an Agent every two feet. He wouldn't have been able to get out alive. So, for the meantime, he would pretend to listen to these vermin.

"Witnesses saw you making threats in Fist's bar," the human agent was telling him. "Stay away from him."

"I don't take orders from you," Wrex told them, annoyed.

"This is your _only_ warning, Wrex!" the human leaned in closer, keeping eye contact. Wrex almost rolled his eyes; he could smell the fear on him.

"You should warn _Fist_, I _will_ kill him!" Wrex nearly bumped into the agent as he leaned forward, causing the human to almost stumble backwards. He instantly caught himself and tried to press on.

"You _want_ me to arrest you?" he exclaimed. Wrex laughed.

"I want you to _try_!" Wrex told him, still chuckling. He looked over the human's shoulder and saw another man leaning against the wall nearby, smoking a cigarette thoughtfully. Standing nearby were two humans, a man and woman, and a young turian. Wrex recognized the man from the bar. The one who didn't show fear to him. Interesting.

Wrex took another look at the human in front of him, knowing the conversation was over and brushed by him. He heard the human shout something after him, but he wasn't listening, his attention solely on the smoking human. The human smiled slightly, threw his cigarette on the ground and stepped on it as he walked forward.

"Do I know you, human?" Wrex said, squaring his shoulders and facing him. The human had to look up slightly to look him in the eye, but he did and once again, Wrex didn't see a hint of fear. Wrex smiled slightly at this, respect growing.

"Commander Shepard," the human introduced himself. "I need to talk with Fist. He's got information I need but I doubt he'll give it up willingly. I hear you're going after him too."

"You're point being?" Wrex asked, intrigued. He was talking to _the_ Commander Shepard.

"Well," Shepard said. "I figure I can make him talk in about…oh, 5 minutes. But if you come along, his lips may just burst wide open the minute we come in. And, it'll make life easier if we go as a team." Wrex pondered this for a moment.

"Commander Shepard," Wrex began. "I've heard a lot about you. We're both warriors, Shepard. Out of respect, I'll give you fair warning. _I'm going to kill Fist_." Wrex leaned in and whispered the last part, eyeing Shepard threateningly. Shepard only smiled. Wrex saw the human female step forward a little bit, and saw determination in her eyes. She was probably willing to fight the krogan for Shepard. Or perhaps die. Interesting.

"Fist knows your coming," the turian said. "We'll have a better chance if we all work together." Wrex glanced at the turian, annoyed by him. Wrex stepped back and straightened.

"My people have a saying," Wrex began. "'Seek the enemy of your enemy, and you will find a friend.'" Shepard smiled and stuck out his hand.

"Glad to have you on the team, Wrex," Shepard said, smiling evilly. Wrex smiled back, cocking his head in anticipation.

"Let's go," Wrex said eagerly. "I'd hate to keep Fist waiting."

"In time, Wrex," Shepard said. "Alenko, Williams and I need to return to the Normandy to suit up and arm ourselves. _Then_ we'll go after Fist." Wrex smile faded slightly.

"It'd be quicker to attack now," Wrex said.

"True," Shepard said. "But it wouldn't be much of a fight if we're going to fight them in our suits." Wrex could see the logic in that.

"Then, shall we?" Wrex said.

The new group of five stood in the elevator going up to the Docking Bay. There was silence. Complete, dead silence. Wrex leaned against the back wall, Kaidan leaned against the side, Garrus stood arms crossed in the corner, Ashley stood to Shepard's left and Shepard stood in front of the door. None talked to each other.

Wrex looked at Ashley, noting how she stood up right and straight. She was relaxed, but Wrex's trained eye could see the ferocity behind it, that she was ready to kill at anytime. Wrex smiled at that.

Ashley shifted uncomfortably. Two aliens were standing behind her, a turian and a krogan. Ashley didn't like turning her back to them, leaving her wide open to them, but she didn't have much of a choice. She had to show that having aliens on the team didn't bother her, focusing more on the mission at hand.

Garrus stood deep in his thoughts. Saren had to pay for his crimes. He _would_ pay for his crimes. He eyed the krogan warily, unsure if he should trust him or not. He was pretty sure the krogan would shoot him if he crossed him.

Kaidan didn't particularly care about the aliens. He thought that they would make valuable assets to the team. As for the prejudices, he ignored them. He was actually excited to see what the krogan and the turian had to offer.

The elevator door opened and Shepard stepped out and turned to his team. He looked at everyone in the eye.

"I know you all don't have reasons to trust each other," Shepard told them. "I know most of you are bitter about things long past, but that is all it is. The past." He looked at each of them in turn. When he looked at Ashley, his stayed momentarily on her for a little longer.

"Now," he continued. "Is there a problem?" They all answered with silence.

"All I care about is stopping Saren," Garrus spoke up. "I can work with anyone you put me with."

"You tell me jump, I'll ask how high, sir," Ashley sighed and smiled. Shepard smiled back.

"I just want to kill things," Wrex said bluntly. "Just tell me who and I'll do it."

Shepard nodded and smiled. He turned away, smile still on his face.

Things were becoming interesting.

* * *

Dear god, four chapters and an extra in less than a week. I blame boredom and lack of a social life.

In my opinion, this chapter was pretty weak in character interaction, but it's to be expected, since they just met each other. The game itself was weak in character interaction, unlike Knights of the Old Republic, which paused the game to watch your teammates talk to each other. I hope to rectify that.

Next one will be an extra featuring Garrus and Wrex. Thank you all for the reviews!


	11. Extra: Skin Deep

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«Extra: The Citadel: C-Sec Academy: Docking Bay»

«or Skin Deep»

Garrus and Wrex stood on opposite sides of the walkway to the Normandy, an awkward silence filling the space between them. The turian was busy looking at the door of the Normandy, hoping that it would open soon. The krogan was sitting on the ground, cleaning his shotgun and assault rifle, disassembling them into pieces and cleaning each individual piece of element zero residue from the mass accelerators. Garrus watched as Wrex blew into a pipe from the barrel of the assault rifle.

"You always clean your weapon by hand?" Garrus asked.

"You don't?" Wrex replied. Garrus rolled his eyes.

"I mean," Garrus continued. "That you could have a machine clean it for you. So why don't you?"

"I'm not as lazy as you are," Wrex replied, reattaching the barrel to the grip. Garrus sighed.

"Look," Garrus said. "It looks like we're going to be working together for awhile, and I thought that we could get to know each other a little better. So, I was just trying to make small talk."

"Well, you're doing a piss-poor job of it," Wrex replied, wiping off dust and residue off of his handle. Garrus rubbed his forehead.

"Look, just because I'm a turian, doesn't mean you have to-" Garrus rounded on Wrex.

"Yes it does," Wrex interrupted, starting on his shotgun. "You're a turian, I'm a krogan. That's the way it is. You've proven yourself as people who will gladly kill off an entire race just because we wanted a new place to live."

"You invaded other worlds, slaughtering the people already on it!" Garrus exclaimed.

"If they weren't willing to defend their planet, they didn't deserve it," Wrex calmly replied, sticking a brush down the barrel to clean it. Garrus sighed heavily and leaned against the railing, hoping Shepard walked out those doors now. Slowly, he began shaking his head.

"What now?" Wrex said, not looking up from his work.

"I don't get it," Garrus whispered.

"What?" Wrex asked, reassembling his shotgun.

"I don't get why you hate turians so much!" Garrus exclaimed. "Everything about your kind is about war and fighting! You either kill or be killed! When you attacked our planets, you killed all in your path! Then, when we defend ourselves against you, you suddenly hate us even more! We attacked you and you lost! That's how it was! Why is it different now that turians attacked you!" Wrex finished assembling his shotgun and looked at Garrus.

"Because you didn't come down to the ground," Wrex stated. Garrus stared incredulously.

"What?" Garrus asked, perplexed.

"In our culture, it's always been battle between krogan and krogan or krogan and rachni, or krogan and turian and so forth. It's always been a duel between races; a battle to see which race was superior. But when your turian fleet orbited above our planets, you didn't even have the courage to show your faces. You stayed high above the planet, safe from us while you virus-bombed the planets with the genophage. You sent something against us that can't even be considered…alive to take us down," Wrex stated. "That is the ultimate act of cowardice in our eyes, worse than pissing on your own father's corpse. You didn't fight us man to man. You didn't even fight us at all." Garrus blinked, surprised by Wrex's sudden demeanor change.

"You didn't seem to have an problems with us using your kind to fight during the Rachni Wars," Garrus said.

"That was different," Wrex said. "That was you saying, 'Here's a worthy challenge, fight them if you're man enough.' And we did, not for you, but so we could prove that we were superior to those bugs. But you, you didn't even look us in our eyes and fight us. And that is why, I can never look at a turian with the same amount of respect that I do with the humans, or the asari." Wrex stood up, placing his assault rifle and shotgun on their respective magnetic bolts.

Garrus watched him, seeing Wrex in a slightly new light. Garrus sighed and crossed his arms.

"Well," Garrus said. "I guess I'll just have to prove that I'm different." Wrex cocked an eyebrow, and then smiled. He actually smiled.

"Good luck," Wrex told him.

"We miss anything?"

Garrus and Wrex looked towards the Normandy and saw Shepard walk out in his red, Class X Colossus Medium Armor, gleaming in the light of the lamp. To his right walked Ashley in her white, Class I Phoenix Medium Armor, stretching her limbs, glad to be out of the formal suit. To Shepard's left walked Kaidan wearing the black, Class I Onyx Light Armor, cracking his neck.

"Nope," Wrex said. "Garrus just said how he was going to prove himself to me."

"I didn't say-!" Garrus stopped himself, knowing it was useless to argue. He looked at Shepard, who looked back with a raised eyebrow.

"Good luck," was all Shepard said.

* * *

Once, again, boredom. Still, I really do enjoy writing these FanFics. I'm listening to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack right now so it's amazing.

Anyhoo, just wanted to show the relationship between Garrus and Wrex is a bumpy one to start, but hopefully, they'll come to trust each other. Who knows? Maybe they'll like each other…I don't see that happening, but hey, a man can dream can't he?

Starting to play WarCraft III. I'm not into World of WarCraft, but I loved StarCraft, so I thought, what the hey, I'll give this game a try. I'm really liking it, though. Thinking about playing once through Diablo II and Lord of Destruction and once through StarCraft and Brood War before StarCraft II (YAHOOOOOOOOOOO!) and Diablo III (JUBLESSSSSSS!) come out. Who knows? Maybe I'll come up with a FanFic for it?

Till next time.


	12. Chapter 9: A Blade in the Den

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«1.04: The Citadel: Lower Wards: Chora's Den»

«or A Blade in the Den»

Jenna peeked out from behind the corner, spying on her own workspace and at the guard stationed outside it. She never thought she would be doing this, but she was curious. Fist has never closed down the club before the appointed time. Ever. And the fact that he seemed terrified also piqued her curiosity. The sweat pouring down his face as he ordered everyone to go home filled her with unease. What could have possibly happened to frighten the man so much?

"Please, Jenna!" Lucas the bartender pleaded. "It's not safe! You can see the armed guard! Something's going to happen here, and I don't want to be around to see it!"

"Then leave, you pussy!" Jenna snapped. "I want to see what happens!"

"I'm not leaving until you leave, Jenna!" Lucas crossed his arms. "I promised Rita that I would make sure you get home safely, and I mean to keep that promise!"

Jenna rolled her eyes. Just like her sister, always looking out for her. It was annoying at times, but she knew that Rita was just worried. Still, she sometimes wished that Rita would just butt out of her life. She was a big girl now; she could take care of herself.

Jenna heard footsteps behind her and she spun around, expecting the worst. She smiled instead.

"Commander!" Jenna ran past Lucas and jumped on Shepard, giving him a massive hug. Shepard only gave her the slightest pat on the back. Jenna smile faded a little as she began to recognize this Shepard. He was Shepard the soldier now and he had a job to do. No time for her. She sighed and released him.

"And what are you doing here?" Shepard asked softly.

"Fist came out of his office about half an hour ago, looking scared shitless," Jenna told him. "He ordered all the regulars out on their asses and the bartender's and dancers sent home. He made a call for all the bouncers to come in immediately. I was staying here to see why."

Shepard nodded and motioned behind him. It was then that Jenna noticed the group behind him: a turian, two humans and a krogan. Odd. They all pulled out their weapons and crouched on the ground, ready for anything. The sight awed Jenna greatly. Three alien species working together. You didn't see that everyday.

"Alright," Shepard looked at her. "You are going straight home, do you understand? Straight home and you stay there, okay?"

Jenna nodded. Shepard looked at Lucas.

"Don't worry," Lucas said, puffing up his chest. "I'll make sure she gets home okay."

"I don't need an escort!" Jenna exclaimed. "I can look after myself!" She flinched as Shepard began knuckling her head, hard.

"I'm sure you can," Shepard said. "But just in case, Lucas is going with you." He stopped and Jenna rubbed her head, eyeing Shepard hatefully. Shepard smiled at her and turned towards the club, hand on his pistol, ready. Jenna watched him go and smiled.

"Don't tell me you want to stay!" Lucas exclaimed exasperatedly

"Not anymore," Jenna turned around and began walking home. Lucas started and ran to keep up. "I just wanted to see what made Fist so scared."

Jenna smiled to herself as she wished Shepard the best of luck.

"Now I know."

\::/::\::/::\::/

The guard yawned to himself. He was stuck on guarding the door to Chora's Den. The guard sighed to himself as questions raced through his mind. What was going on? Why had fist recalled all the bouncers, even the ones off duty? What had made him so scared and should they be scared too?

God, he had to pee.

Without shame, he turned towards the nearby wall, and unzipped his zipper. He relaxed as he relieved himself. It felt like he had been holding it in for ages.

He didn't notice the man in shining red armor walking up behind him. He didn't noticed until the man had slammed his head against the wall, and his steady stream cut off abruptly.

"That's disgusting, you know that?" Shepard muttered, a look of revulsion on his face. Kaidan rubbed his temples, while Wrex and Garrus looked around, guns ready. Ashley looked down at the man and cocked her head sideways.

"Huh," she said. "Didn't know they got that small." The man shut his eyes tight with embarrassment.

"Zip yourself up," Shepard ordered, keeping his hand on the man's head. The man did so, and Shepard stepped back, pistol pointed at his head.

"How many you got in there?" Shepard asked. The man looked from one person to the other, scared stiff.

"Uh…uh-around-uh, 10 maybe more," the would-be guard stammered.

"Weapons?" Shepard asked.

"M-Mostly pistols and shotguns," the man answered. He began to sweat profusely. Shepard stared at him, straight into his eyes. The man wanted to look away, but was afraid to. Afraid of the gun pointed at his head. He gulped. Shepard's eyes never left his.

"Bang!" Shepard exclaimed. The man screamed and fell to the ground. And relieved the rest of his bladder all over his pants.

"Eew," Shepard said. "Didn't think _that_ would happen."

"Yes you did," Ashley accused him. Wrex glanced over and laughed. The man stared down at himself in shame.

"Alright," Shepard said. "Let's prepare to move in. Garrus, I want you on sniper duty. Stay in the back and take out the ones farther out. Kaidan, I want you take care of any weapons they having using your Omni-Tool. Wrex, biotics, both offensive and defensive. Williams and I will take the brunt of their attack and be the main attackers, clear?" Everyone nodded.

The man on the ground gritted his teeth in anger. He felt so humiliated.

He wanted revenge.

A knife appeared in his hand and he went for the first person in front of him: the krogan.

His back turned, the man shot forward and attempted to stab him. What he didn't know was that krogan's backs were heavily plated with bone and scales. The knife broke in the man's hand.

If the man looked scared then, he looked terrified now. He slowly looked up. Wrex slowly turned his head around. Wrex regarded the man behind him. Did he actually think that he could kill a krogan from behind?

Wrex cracked his knuckles as he began to teach a valuable lesson to the human.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Fist bit down on his bottom lip as he regarded the men working to prepare their defenses. His back towards the door, he looked around frantically. They had to be ready. They just had to. He remembered all too well the conversation before with the krogan.

"_Hey there, Fist," the Alliance soldier said as he walked in. Fist looked up from his work to see the man slowly walk up to him, gazing around the room with his arms around his back. Fist studied the man._

"_Who the hell are you?" Fist exclaimed. "How'd you get past security?"_

"_Well," the man said nonchalantly. "The bouncer was so busy staring at the half-naked asari around the room, he didn't notice me waltz in." Fist sighed._

"_Well," Fist tried to sound dignified. "What, exactly, does an Alliance soldier want with a humble bar owner?" The man laughed._

"_Am I that easy to pick out?" the man said._

"_Please," Fist shook his head. "There's a difference between the Alliance personnel and the C-Sec grunts that patrol the area."_

"_Which is?" the man questioned._

"_The Alliance carries themselves with more pride," Fist concluded. The man laughed at this. "Now, who are you and what can I do for you?"_

"_Who I am is not important," the soldier told him as he straightened up to stretch his back. "Just know that we have the same employer." Fist gave a small smile._

"_And?" Fist asked. "What does my noble employer want of me?" The man plopped himself down on the chair opposite Fist. Fist, meanwhile, poured himself and his guest a shot of his best bourbon. He handed the glass to the man, who took it graciously._

"_Saren wanted me to tell you that we're finishing the business between you two," the soldier knocked back the shot. Fist stared incredulously._

"_What?" Fist asked. "Why, may I ask?"_

"_That's some good bourbon," the soldier commented. "Well, you see. It would seem that the Shadow Broker found out your little change of employer." Fist paled._

"_Wha-?" Fist tried to ask._

"_This is the Citadel, my friend," the soldier told him. "It's hard to keep a secret. But, you can see the problem this generates, correct? You were meant to be a spy within the Shadow Broker's ranks. Now, what exactly is a spy that everyone knows about?"_

_Fist stared at the man. The soldier waited for an answer._

"_Useless," the soldier told him as if it was so obvious. "You, my friend, are useless. And now, the Shadow Broker has hired a krogan bounty hunter to kill before his secrets are exposed. He is actually a member of my co-worker's family by the name of Wrex. If I recall, he was in the bar earlier looking for your head."_

_Fist dropped his glass, spilling its contents all over the floor. Fist remembered when Wrex came into his bar. He had thought Wrex was coming in looking for work and had wanted to make the krogan beg for it. But Wrex was trying to kill him? Fist shivered. He looked expectantly at the soldier_

"_So, are you here to help me?" Fist surmised. The soldier shook his head._

"_I think I already told you," the soldier muttered. "Saren is letting you go. You are no longer under his protection. You see he can't be seen to work with a man…quite as pathetic as you. He really is quite prideful for a _turian_. Especially since the Alliance is conducting an investigation into Saren with Commander Shepard leading it. So…I think he'll be in here to ask you some questions as well."_

_Fist jaw dropped. A krogan _and_ Shepard? Fist wiped his forehead. He looked up and saw the soldier inspecting the glass. Fist gulped. He then smiled._

"_Well," Fist leaned forward. "You should tell Saren that I've got leverage against him. I know where I sent the quarian. I could tell Shepard where it is in exchange for my life. And then, I'll be coming after him! I'll expose him to the entire citadel for what he is!" Fist grinned. He got him._

_The soldier cocked an eyebrow._

"_So," the soldier started. "You are going to blackmail the citadel's best Spectre, a man without an limitations, who can do whatever he wants and not get punished for it, who just a little while ago destroyed a colony with his army of geth troopers?"_

_Fist's smile faded._

"_Are you really that stupid?" the soldier looked at him with a confused expression. "Who is going to listen to the word of a drug dealer/crime lord/law breaker such as you? They'd trust my employer's words over yours any day. And you forgot about Wrex. He is coming here to kill you, not bargain with you."_

_Fist's face slowly faded to a fearful expression._

"_You see," the soldier leaned forward. "At this point in time, it doesn't matter _if_ you tell Shepard about the quarian. One, because we already have another man _picking_ her up. With any luck, she'll be dead by the time Shepard comes here. And two, Saren has enough resources now that it doesn't matter if you tell anyone about her. Sure it would make his life easier, but it wouldn't matter anyways. So you, my pitiable friend, has nothing to bargain with. You are going to die."_

_Fist, for the first time in his life, felt terrified. The soldier stood up and turned towards the door._

"_Au Revoir!" He waved good-bye as he walked away._

"_W-wait! I need help! I don't have the manpower to take care of Wrex _and _Shepard!" Fist shouted as he stood up._

"_So?" the soldier stopped and looked at him. "There's nothing I can do about it, or would do about it. Saren's word is final."_

_Fist shivered and slumped back into his chair._

"_You seem to think that you're special. You're wrong. You've served your purpose: you told us where the quarian was. You were going to be siding with greatness. Your name would have been remembered throughout the ages as the man who aided the Great Saren. Now, you've failed. Only the scum you scurry around with will never remember you. All because you were careless," the soldier told him._

_Fist stared at the man, terror on his face._

"_You are going to die," the soldier told him. "Peace." The soldier held up two fingers and walked out of the room, leaving Fist to his doom._

Fist's bottom lip bled as he bit into it.

"Sir?" one guard said.

"WHAT?" Fist shouted. The guard jumped.

"W-what's that?" the guard asked as he pointed towards the door.

Fist spun around. Behind the glass door, he saw a dark shape moving. It barely resembled the shape of a krogan.

The shape move and something crashed through the doorway. Fist watched as it came towards him, realizing what it was.

The body of the guard outside.

The body collided into Fist and they both tumbled to the floor. Fist struggled to get out from underneath him. He was wet, for some reason, but that wasn't what bothered him.

It was because his neck was broken.

Fist stood up hurriedly and stared at the body, his face filled with fear. He slowly looked towards the ruined glass doorway and saw the krogan, wiping his hands clean and a human with eyes wide with surprise. It was Wrex and beside him was Shepard.

Fist stared at the group at the doorway. Shepard stared at the body and at Wrex, surprised that he had thrown the body through the door. Wrex stared at his quarry.

"F-FIRE!" Fist shouted and ran. Everyone in the bar tore out their weapons and fired.

Shepard furrowed his brow and whipped out his shotgun, shooting as he did. Wrex rolled on the ground and behind a fallen table, using it as cover. Shepard took the other side with Ashley with him, who took out her assault rifle. Kaidan whipped out his pistol and crouched next to Wrex, activating a barrier around him with his biotics as he did.

Garrus stood next to the doorway, sniper rifle out and ready. He quickly turned and fired at the man behind the bar. The bullet shot through the man's bicep, tearing it and causing the man to lose his firing arm. Garrus turned back around the corner, and prepared himself for the next target.

Kaidan stood up behind cover and fired at a man standing behind a table. Kaidan saw the man's shotgun pointing out from behind the table. Pointing his Omni-Tool at it, he fired a signal at the shotgun. It exploded and knocked the man out.

Ashley poked out from behind cover and fired her assault rifle. The men didn't wear shields so they were easy. Two went down before her. Another fired a round from his shotgun as Ashley ducked back behind cover. She felt wind pass over her as she ducked down. She blew out air before she stepped up again.

Garrus stood out from behind cover and fired another round. It missed as the man ran towards cover. He didn't see another man nearby take aim and shoot. The bullet tore through Garrus's shield and penetrated his armor, digging deep into his shoulder and exiting out the other side. He fell to the ground, dropping his sniper rifle. Almost immediately he felt the Medi-Gel layer cool the wound down.

"Garrus!" Shepard yelled.

"I'm okay!" Garrus said as he crawled back behind cover. He picked up his sniper rifle and stood up, preparing for action. He turned away from cover and shot the man who shot him in the head. It felt good.

Shepard turned his attention away from Garrus and ran away from the cover and underneath the bar. He knocked a few stools away and looked out in front of him. He saw a group of three men behind a table. From the angle he had before he couldn't see them, but now, they were his. He tossed a grenade and ran back towards the cover with Williams. He heard a scream and then the explosion. Three down.

Wrex turned from cover and ran towards a turned over table. A few shots grazed him, but he ignored it. He collided into the cover and checked his shotgun. Wrex listened and noticed another man on the other side of the table. Wrex waited. The man shifted. Wrex turned from cover and fired. The shotgun shell exploded into the man's stomach and shot the man backwards into the air. Wrex turned away and cocked his shotgun.

Silence fell on the room. Everyone stood up cautiously, guns poised and ready. Shepard raised his shotgun. He glanced around once and closed his eyes. His mind raced. Garrus shot the first man. Then Alenko knocked out another. Williams took down two. Garrus then shot the man who shot him. Shepard took out three men with the grenade. Then Wrex shot another man point blank. Nine.

Nine. Not ten as the man outside had said.

Shepard looked again for the last one. He crouched around and went towards the right side of the room, ready. He slowly checked behind each corner and every overturned table.

The young krogan hid behind the bar. He had waited for his chance to strike as he watched the human check the room. He waited for the fighting to die down and the attackers to lower their guards. He waited for the right time.

Shepard turned around.

The krogan leapt out from behind the bar and charged towards the man. He didn't see the other krogan running towards him.

Wrex collided with the krogan, using his hard, bone-plated head to smash into the whelp's side, and using his arms to carry the young krogan over towards the wall. Wrex grunted and tossed the krogan aside. The younger krogan crashed into the table, which broke under his weight.

Shepard spun around and aimed his shotgun, preparing to fire. Wrex, however, raised his hand to stop him.

"This dog is mine," Wrex growled. Shepard knew better than to get in between the krogan and his enemy. So he holstered his weapon and walked back towards the group. Wrex eyed the young krogan trying to regain his footing and shook his head.

"Pathetic," Wrex said. "You waited until _after_ the fighting to show your useless hide. You _hid_ from a battle."

"Don't lecture me, old man," the other krogan snarled. "I don't need to be preached to by a relic like you."

"Don't talk to me like that, boy," Wrex warned and took a step forward. "You're the coward here. You don't even deserve to be considered a krogan. You've forgotten the ways of combat. How you never hide from battle. How you face your enemy on equal ground." The young krogan laughed.

"Those ways are dead, Wrex," the krogan said. "They died a long time ago. The krogan's are dying. We have to change if we want to survive."

"They may be dying, but we still have our pride," Wrex growled as he poised ready to attack. "And that will never die. But you, who has no pride, will."

Wrex roared and leapt forward. The other krogan tried to fight Wrex off, but was overwhelmed. Wrex's hand shot out and grabbed the krogan's head. He twisted and snapped the young krogan's neck. The battle was over in less than a second.

Wrex dropped the dead krogan and wiped his hands. He turned and followed Shepard as he led them deeper into the club. Shepard looked behind him as Wrex approached. They made eye contact and Shepard turned away. Ashley eyed the krogan warily.

Shepard opened the door and was surprised.

"Stop right there!" a man ordered them, pointing a gun at him. Another man behind him also pointed his gun at them.

"Warehouse workers," Kaidan said.

"All the _real_ guards must be dead," Garrus said.

"If you can call them real guards," Wrex grumbled.

"Stay back, or we'll shoot," the other man said. Shepard shook his head.

"We just took out your buddies in less than 15 minutes," Shepard told them. "You really think you can take us on?" The other men paled. They brought their weapons down.

"N-no, I don't really," the man stammered. "W-we'll get out of your way." They proceeded to do just that.

"It would've been quicker to just…kill them," Wrex said. Shepard smiled.

"Violence isn't always the answer," Ashley told him. Wrex merely shrugged. Shepard blew out air and cracked his neck.

"'A fox sensing the end is at its most devious,'" he quoted. He took out his assault rifle and walked into Fists office, followed by his team. "Be on your guard."

Everyone took out their respective weapons.

Shepard turned the corner and saw Fist.

"Fist!" Shepard shouted. "We need to talk!" Fist turned around from his desk, breathing heavily. His eyes were bloodshot, shifting from one spot to another. Shepard narrowed his eyes.

Fist was getting desperate.

Damn.

Fist's eyes slowly focused and he saw the krogan. Wrex. The krogan come to kill him.

Fist screamed and brought his hand down on a button.

Two machine gun turrets rose from their hiding places and fired as Fist hid behind his desk.

Everyone fell behind cover as the bullets rushed past them. A continuous line of bullets streamed past them, forcing them to stay down.

"Automated turrets!" Garrus shouted over the din. "Made with built in cooling systems! These guys can go on for ages!"

"You think?" Wrex shouted at him.

Shepard knew that Garrus was right. They were running out of time and they needed to get Fist out of his hole. Shepard glanced at his team. _His_ team. Would he sacrifice them to achieve his goal?

No. He wouldn't.

Shepard's hand gripped the knife attached to his left shoulder. He unsheathed it and held it in front of him. He closed his eyes and began to whisper the Litany he created with Jane.

"_My mind is the blade,  
My body is the hand,  
My soul is the heart,_

_The blade is my conviction,  
The hand is my center,  
The heart is my existence,_

_My blade guides my hand,  
My hand guides my heart,  
My heart guides my blade,_

_My enemy challenges my mind,  
My enemy challenges my body,  
My enemy challenges my soul,_

_My blade shall fight his challenges, for it is my mind, my conviction,  
My hand shall fight his challenges, for it is my body, my center,  
My heart shall fight his challenges, for it is my soul, my existence,_

_My enemy challenges me,  
So he shall meet me,  
Mind, body, and soul,  
He shall meet me,  
Blade, hand and heart,  
He shall meet me,_

_If he destroys me, then I shall die with pride,  
For I fought with my mind, body and soul,  
If I destroy him, then I shall smile with pride,_

_For my mind, body and soul were victorious," Shepard breathed out as he finished._

No one else heard this except Ashley, who crouched next to him. Her eyes widened as she heard these words in confusion and awe. Then Ashley saw Shepard do something that she never conceived that he would do.

He giggled.

Shepard, the Champion of the Skyllian Blitz, the so-called Butcher of Torfan, the Survivor of Akuze and the soon to be called Hero of Eden Prime…

…giggled.

"Williams," Shepard said quietly. Ashley started. "Hand me the plant next to you." Ashley stared, then grabbed the plant and handed to her commanding officer. Shepard held it in his hand.

He tossed it into the air.

The two machine turrets tore it to pieces.

Shepard darted out of cover, knife in hand.

The turrets lowered downwards, finding the next moving target.

Shepard's eyes saw he was two meters from the turrets.

Shepard grabbed a nearby plant

Shepard took a step on the wall and used it to push off of it.

He leaped into the air and landed on the first turret.

Shepard grabbed the barrel and pointed it upwards.

It scorched his hand as it fired. Shepard didn't feel it. His adrenaline was pumping.

The upturned turret provided the cover needed from the other turret.

The upturned turret exploded as Shepard jumped away and continued running towards the other one.

He tossed aside the plant in his hand.

The turret followed the plant.

Shepard leapt towards the turret.

His flaming eyes were wide, and his mischievous smile was broad.

He swiped his knife, cutting the wires on the turret.

The turret reverberated and died.

Fist heard the silence. Fist began laughing. He was alive! He had won! He was victorious! They were dead and he was alive! He was alive!

Fist ran out from behind his desk, tears beginning to pour from his eyes. Until he opened them and saw the truth.

Both of his turrets were destroyed. And the krogan was still there, along with the team he had assembled. Except he wasn't looking at him. He was staring in shock at someone else. So was the team. Fist followed their eyes and looked at the man standing in front of him.

Shepard stood in front of Fist, breathing heavily. With every breath came a small giggle as if he was at the end of a large laugh. With a final breath, calmed down. He sighed and looked at Fist.

Fist visibly trembled at the sight. This man was Shepard. Commander John Shepard.

"Fist," Shepard muttered. "I need a moment of your time."

Fist barely registered this. His face contorted to anger. He snarled as he drew his pistol and fired.

As soon as his gun was out, Shepard spun. He twirled his knife until the blade was pointing down his arm. As soon as the gun was out and had fired, Shepard had implanted the knife into Fist's hand and felt the bullet barely graze the back of Shepard's armor.

Fist screamed as Shepard pulled it out. He grabbed at his bleeding hand and fell to his knees in pain. Shepard flicked his wrist, letting the blood fly off the blade and holstered it. Shepard kept his eye on the writhing form.

"Fist," Shepard said for the third time. "I need to ask you a question." Shepard didn't care if Fist was listening or not. He looked up and motioned for the others to join him. Why were they still behind cover? The turrets were destroyed long ago.

Hesitantly, they walked out towards Shepard, still in shock.

Kaidan wasn't really as surprised as the others. He had seen Shepard in action before. Still, his movements filled him with awe.

Ashley's mouth was hanging open. This was the true power of Shepard? It seemed almost inhuman. Where did he learn that? Ashley gulped.

Garrus was having difficulty figuring out what just happened. Did Shepard just wipe out two turrets _by himself_?

Wrex chuckled to himself. This Shepard was getting more and more interesting by the minute. He couldn't wait to see what else he does.

Fist, on the other hand, didn't care what Shepard did. His hand was bleeding profusely and he winced every time he looked at it.

Shepard yawned. He was tired.

"Where's the quarian?" Shepard asked. Fist looked up, tears pouring down his face. His mind fumbled around. His hand. He was told not to tell anyone about the quarian. His blood on the ground. The quarian. Rage.

Fist leapt up and tried to punch him with his good hand. Shepard stepped out of the way and grabbed Fist's wrist with his right hand. His left hand reached under his elbow. He pushed the wrist forward and pulled his hand back. Fist's arm broke like a twig.

Fist screamed and fell to the ground. Ashley and Kaidan winced while Garrus stood dumbfounded. Wrex watched it all.

It took a while for Fist to calm himself down and look up again at Shepard.

"Where's the quarian?" Shepard asked again, this time with more emphasis. This time, Fist complied. He had nothing to lose.

"I…I…don't know where she is. That's the truth…" Fist breathed heavily. Wrex shook his head.

"He's no use to you now. Let me kill him," Wrex said. Shepard shot a glare at Wrex.

"WAIT!" Fist wailed. "I don't know where the quarian is, but I know where you can find her! She said she'd only deal with the Shadow Broker himself!"

"Face to face? Impossible. Even I was hired through an agent," Wrex growled and leveled his gun. Fist flinched.

"Nobody meets the Shadow Broker. Ever," Fist wheezed. "Even _I_ don't know…his true identity. But she didn't know that. I told her…I'd set a meeting up. But when she shows up…it'll be _Saren's _men waiting for her." Fist began to laugh. The irony was just so funny he could hardly stand it. Shepard's foot on his bleeding hand brought his attention back.

"Give me the location. Now!" Shepard ordered. Fist winced at the pain.

"Here on the Wards! In the back alley by the markets! She's supposed to meet them right now! You can make it if you hurry!" Shepard regarded him for a moment, accepted this and turned around.

"Let's go," Shepard ordered, leaving the broken man behind.

A gunshot forced him to turn around quickly.

Wrex holstered his shotgun and turned away. Fist's head was a bloody mess, covered in blood that leaked from the newly created, steaming holes. A piece of his head had been ejected off and onto the floor nearby, exposing part of his brains to the outside world. A blood splatter mark had been created on the wall.

Three things happened at once.

"Oh my god!" Kaidan gasped.

"What are you doing?" Garrus shouted.

"Drop the gun, krogan!" Ashley ordered, taking aim with her assault rifle. Wrex glanced at Ashley.

"The Shadow Broker paid me to kill him," Wrex explained. "I don't leave jobs half done."

"We don't shoot unarmed prisoners!" Ashley shouted.

"How many lives were ruined because of this man? How many would have still been destroyed had he lived? The man was scum. The universe is better off without people like him," Wrex explained.

"The commanders in charge! You ever pull another stunt like that-!" Ashley shouted again.

"Enough!" Shepard said, who continued to stare at the lifeless body. Ashley looked at him incredulously.

"Commander, say something!" Ashley pleaded. The krogan needed to be punished. He had executed a man who had surrendered! Scum like him had to be held accountable.

"Like what?" Shepard asked. "What's done is done. We need to move on."

"But commander!" Ashley shouted. "This _krogan_ needs to be held accountable for his actions!"

"And he will be," Shepard said. "But not now. We have a more pressing concern ahead of us."

Kaidan watched the exchange between them. They were both right. Wrex had acted out of turn when he killed Fist. But Shepard needed to move on. Watching Shepard, he couldn't tell what he was feeling. Pity? Or remorse?

"That quarian's dead if we don't go now!" Garrus warned. Ashley looked again at Wrex and again at Shepard who still looked at the body. She gave up and with a groan put her rifle away.

"Let's go," Shepard said as he turned away from the body.

As he turned his eyes locked with Wrex's. It said one thing and one thing only.

This isn't over.

Wrex smiled as he looked at Shepard's back. Oh yes. This Shepard was becoming very interesting.

Together, the team went to save the quarian with much more drive. They had to.

* * *

Little more insanity in this chapter. I'll explain the giggling later.

I at first thought that Shepard needed a battle prayer of some kind. I at first wanted to go with the one from Thirteenth Warrior, but it didn't fit Shepard's mindset. So I created my own. Hope you liked it; there'll be more scenes like it.

We'll save the quarian next time. Need sleep.

Edit: as I created new characters, I had to change who Fist was talking to. Don't worry, it will all become clear eventually. I actually like this one better. It seems more fluid and more natural.


	13. Chapter 10: Darkness Moves

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«1.05: Citadel: Lower-Upper Wards: Back Alleyway»

«or Darkness Moves»

Machinist Tali'Zorah nar Rayya watched the pacing turian carefully, watching for any sudden movements. She carefully looked around the alleyway, trying to keep her growing panic away. Slowly, she realized, the group of four salarians the turian brought with him were surrounding her. She began to have a growing suspicion that things weren't going to go according to plan.

The turian walked up to her slowly, hands in the pockets of his black trench coat. Underneath the coat, he wore simple black light armor. The skin appeared to be a very dark shade of blue. In fact, everything about him gave off a very dark feeling, but that wasn't what frightened Tali. It was his eyes: blood red eyes where the whites should have been. This, coupled with the white skull-like facial markings, put Tali at great unease.

"Did you bring it?" the turian's voice was barely above a whisper. His eyes locked on to Tali's own. She was glad that she wore a mask; otherwise he would have seen how scared she was.

"Where's the Shadow Broker?" Tali asked him, summoning up her courage. She straightened her body up, hands slowly drifting to her sides, where her grenades and pistol were.

"He'll be here when he's ready," the turian softly reassured her. He took a step towards her, gazing down at her. "Now, did you bring the evidence?" Tali stared again. This wasn't looking good at all.

"No way," she stated. "The deal's off." She stepped away from him, who merely looked at her.

"That's upsetting," the turian stated, and then shrugged. "Your choice."

Two salarians to her right drew their pistols. Tali glanced at them pressed the button on her grenade. Tossing it to the side, she ran in the opposite direction. She heard the explosion and kept on running towards the other two salarians, hoping to catch them off guard.

She then felt light. Something picked her up and threw her against the wall. The wind in her lungs rushed out of her as she gasped for air. She was pinned to the wall. She couldn't even move her head. By what? There was nothing holding her.

The turian came into view, a deep flaming red glow surrounding his body. A biotic. The turian was a biotic.

The turian tsked as he walked up to her.

"Now, we can't have that, can we?" He walked up to her. "Now, tell me where the information is."

If Tali weren't wearing her mask, she would have spit on him.

"Now, there are two ways this can happen," the turian said. "You can tell me where it is, plain and simple. The other way is for me to reach into your mind and find the information itself. I will warn you though; the process is very painful. You may even die from it. Now, where is the information?"

Tali's breathing quickened, but she kept her mouth shut. The turian sighed.

"Very well," the turian said. He reached up to her head, preparing to grab both sides of it.

A gunshot rang out and the turian whipped his head around towards the sound.

He quickly brought his hand towards his head with reflexes as fast as lightning, even more enhanced by the biotic forces coursing through his body.

Tali saw the bullet that was aimed for the turian's head instead go into his hand and disintegrate in the mass effect field surrounding his body.

The turian saw on top of the stairs the sniper: Garrus Vakarian. He also saw the group of humans and a krogan in front of the two salarians.

Using his biotics, he threw the quarian towards Garrus.

Tali felt herself fly up into the air, loosing all sense of direction. Garrus saw her come shooting towards him and dropped his sniper rifle. Arms outstretched, he braced himself as he caught the quarian in his arms. Garrus went down to one knee, looking at the mask, trying to see any sign of movement.

"Are you alright?" he asked. She groaned.

"I'm fine," her voice came through, and Garrus helped her to her feet. "What happened?"

"The turian threw you with his biotics," Garrus explained. "We're in the middle of apprehending him."

Or were trying to.

Shepard and the rest had killed the remaining two salarians and rounded up on the turian biotic. Pushed into a corner, the turian lashed out, knocking Ashley and Wrex into the walls, imbedding Wrex halfway into the wall and slamming Ashley's head against the pipes. Garrus attempted to use his sniper rifle, but Shepard and Kaidan were too close; it was possible that he would hit them in the process.

In all his years of experience, Shepard had only once been up against a biotic of this caliber and it nearly killed him. The turian was invulnerable to all weaponry due to the biotic barrier surrounding his body. Shepard couldn't get in any closer than he was already because every time he tried, the turian would pick up a nearby piece of debris or body and use it as a shield.

Shepard moved in closer, aiming his pistol in at point blank range. As he fired, the turian spun, allowing the round to go behind him and whipped his hand around, bringing with it a metal sheet from the wall. Shepard rolled out of the way and continued to fire. The turian blocked each round with his bare hands, letting the barrier disintegrate the bullets into molecules.

Kaidan ran around the turian towards his backside. He knew that all biotic powers were limited to their sight. If they couldn't see it, they couldn't manipulate it. Kaidan reached the turian's back and charged forward, attempting to fire.

The turian turned around and did the oddest thing.

Two of his claws made a circle as they touched each other. And as Kaidan neared him, the turian flicked him in the forehead.

The turian flicked Kaidan in the forehead.

Kaidan felt something crack, felt blood burst out of the wound and felt himself get thrown backwards into the wall where he crumpled.

"Kaidan!" Shepard yelled and charged forward, firing shots as he did so. The turian spun around and reached forward. Shepard felt the gun get torn out his hand and thrown into the corner. The turian raised his other hand. Shepard felt his body stiffen and begin to rise. The turian's red aura faded away slightly as his barrier dissipated. Hand raised, he walked forward.

"Commander. John. Shepard," the turian muttered. "The Champion of the Skyllian Blitz. The Butcher of Torfan. The Survivor of Akuze. And now, the Hero of Eden Prime. I am honored to be in your presence." The turian gave an illustrious bow in front of him. Shepard struggled to move.

"But I wonder, why you are called of those titles?" He straightened up. "Your mission to Eden Prime was a failure with over 150 dead, 23 of them marines. Your survival was just sheer dumb luck. And the massacre of Torfan was just simple vengeance for Elysium. So why do the humans care? Are you a model for them? Who knows? This doesn't concern me. I'd rather know, who _you_ are. But we don't have time for that now. Sir Saren wants you dead. So I intend to do just that." Shepard froze as the turian raised a hand and pointed a finger at him.

"Poof."

Shepard arched his back and struggled to contain his scream. Pain was in his head. That's all there was, just simple, agonizing pain. The turian merely watched with a rather bored expression on his face.

Shepard struggled to keep himself awake through all of this. With his left arm, he tried to reach out and grab the turian.

"The gossip of your strength and willpower," the turian remarked. "Simply does not do you justice." A bead of sweat formed on the turian's forehead. Wiping it away, he examined it closely.

Shepard reached out, curling his fingers as he did. Gritting his teeth and ignoring the fire scorching his mind, he reached out against the weight of the biotic's suppression.

"Persistent, aren't you?" the turian asked.

Shepard felt his shoulder pop out of place and his entire left arm go limp. Shepard's eyes widened in shock. The pain erupted even further. It felt like someone was shoving a flaming hot steel rod into his brain. The turian looked on without feeling.

"Could you hurry up and die, please?" the turian asked, glancing at his watch. "I have other business to attend to."

"Let him go!" a yell came from behind. The turian spun around and was met with an onslaught of biotic energy. He released Shepard, who collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air, and the pain in his head gone.

Kaidan focused all of his biotic abilities towards the turian, causing a wave of pain to echo throughout his head. The turian matched the onslaught with his own wave of biotic force, causing a shockwave that echoed throughout the wards. The two opposing forces collided against each other, Kaidan's own blue energy facing against he turian's red energy.

Kaidan found his nose to be bleeding again, but ignored it. The turian cocked his head, as if he was trying to look at him sideways.

"This feeling," the turian muttered. "It's so familiar. Have we met before?" Kaidan bore an incredulous look on his face. Gritting his teeth, Kaidan pushed forward with all his might, but it was as if he was pushing against a steel wall. The turian shook his head.

"I _know_ I've seen you somewhere before," the turian muttered, shaking his head. "Probably my imagination."

Kaidan looked closer, and his eyes widened as he did. The facial features, the white markings on his face; Kaidan realized that he had seen them all before. It's been so long since he last saw them, but he could never forget them.

"Vyrnnus?" Kaidan breathed, in shock. "Commander Vyrnnus?" The turian looked at Kaidan with the mention of the name. He shook his head.

"I'm sorry," the turian said. "I am not he."

Kaidan regained his composure and pointed his Omni-Tool at the turian. Specifically, at the pistol hanging from his side.

The pistol exploded, blowing a chunk of the turian's side clean out. If this surprised the turian, his face barely showed it. Distracted, he slowed his biotic attack on Kaidan. This gave Kaidan the chance he needed. Pushing with all his might, he forced the turian backwards.

The wave of blue biotic energy slammed into the turian, who flew through the air and into the nearby wall, spraying blood everywhere. The turian slid towards the ground, as Kaidan collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily, his migraine exploding in his brain.

The turian stared at the ceiling for a moment, admiring the dimmed red of his vision. Slowly, he sat up and looked around. Looking down, he placed a hand to his side and removed it, covering it with blue blood. However, to his eyes, all he saw was a dark liquid on his hand.

"That's new," he muttered.

"Hand's up," came a voice. The turian looked up and saw Garrus pointing his assault rifle at his face. Behind him, the quarian pointed her shotgun. The turian regarded them a moment and slowly got up. As he did, he swung his hand around, knocking Garrus and the quarian into the wall with his biotic powers. Taking no note of them afterwards, he slowly limped towards the door and without a second glance behind him, walked out into the hall, blood dripping onto the floor.

\::/::\::/::\::/

As Garrus came to, he found himself in the C-Sec Medical Facility. Struggling to get up, he saw the quarian looking back at him. The quarian rushed to his side.

"Please, don't move," her filtered voice sounded worried. "You broke two ribs. If you move around too much, you may injure yourself even more." Grunting, Garrus slumped back into his bed.

"What happened?" Garrus asked, weakly.

"After the turian left, the Lieutenant and I called for back-up," the quarian told him, taking a seat next to his bed. "With their help, we were able to get everyone to safety. Though, we did have some trouble getting the krogan out of the wall." Garrus chuckled and regretted it instantly, as a sharp pain rushed through his side.

"That should have been funny," Garrus muttered. Silence filled the room, as the quarian looked studied her hands.

"Thank you," the quarian spoke softly. "For saving my life." Garrus tried to see her face, but the mask concealed it too well.

"You're welcome," Garrus told her. The quarian nodded. Garrus couldn't even tell she was smiling. A knock came at the door and Kaidan's head peeked in.

"Lieutenant," Garrus said. "How're you?"

"Not too bad," Kaidan walked in and stood at the foot of Garrus's bed. "I took some medicine for the migraine. It's dulled a bit, but my head still feels as if it's been dipped in molten lava. How're you, Garrus?"

"Can't move, but still alive," Garrus told him. "Everyone else?"

"Ashley's just got a bump on her head. What is more hurt is her pride, though she should be fine with time," Garrus nodded as Kaidan spoke. "Wrex is frustrated that we had to haul his ass out of the wall, but he'll live. Who's taken the most damage is Shepard." Garrus braced himself.

"He's got a dislocated shoulder, but that's not the worst of his injuries," Kaidan told him. "The worst amount of damage is in his brain. That turian nearly turned it to mush. Though the doctor's say they can fix it, he's in critical condition." Garrus sighed and the quarian seemed distraught as she rubbed her arm.

"Who was that turian?" Garrus muttered. Kaidan shook his head.

"I don't know," Kaidan's eyes a faraway look to them. "But he's the most powerful biotic I've ever seen." Garrus gripped his sheets in anger. He couldn't do anything. He had been taken down in a matter of seconds and was instead looked after by others. Kaidan shook his head.

"There was nothing more you could've done, Garrus," Kaidan told him firmly. "We're still alive, and that's all that matters." Garrus slowly nodded. Still, Kaidan looked troubled.

"Something still bothers me," Kaidan mostly talked to himself, but the others still listened. "I looked at his brain scans and…they looked fine."

"So?" Garrus asked.

"With the amount of biotic energy that turian was pushing into his brain, Shepard's brain should be a bloody mess," Kaidan remarked. "Instead, it has a few bruises and cuts."

"So, he was lucky," the quarian suggested. Kaidan shrugged.

"I don't know," Kaidan told them. "But from what I could see, it almost looked like something was protecting his brain."

The room fell into silence as the pondered this.

\::/::\::/::\::/

The turian walked into the room, blood still dripping from his side. The krogan turned away from the window and glanced at the turian with a sneer. The salarian barely looked up from his computer, face so close he could have licked it if he wanted to. The asari looked at him, turning from a large chair in the center of the room, headpiece framing her face and bosom partially exposed. The human was smoking a cigar, sitting in a chair next to the large one in the center, smile wide. The geth prime crouched in the corner of the room. Despite it crouching, its head nearly touched the ceiling. It stared at the center of the room, not looking at anything and a large scar running down its center.

"You failed I see," the asari said calmly.

"Told you you should've sent me," the krogan snarled. "Never send a turian to do a krogan's work."

"Always send a krogan to do a brute's work," the turian remarked. The krogan shot a glare at the turian.

"You want to say that again, Tuvok?" the krogan nearly roared. The turian looked at him as he took off his coat and sat down.

"I'm sorry, Warlord Jarrod, I had thought krogan's had ears," Tuvok Vyrnnus muttered. "I said, always-"

He didn't finish because Urdnot Jarrod was halfway to ripping Tuvok apart with his bare hands. Tuvok leapt from his chair and prepared to use his biotic powers. Something stopped them however as blue biotic energy surrounded them and stopped them in their tracks.

"That's enough!" the asari glowed with the flame of the biotics, angry and harsh. "Jarrod, you will control your anger and Tuvok, you would do well to control your tongue."

"My apologies, Matriarch Benezia," Tuvok bowed low as Benezia released them. Jarrod snorted and walked towards the window.

"You should've let 'em," the human remarked. "Would've been interesting to see a turian and a krogan fight."

"I don't doubt that, Major," Benezia said. "But we have a more pressing concern. Doctor, please check on Tuvok, would you?" The salarian looked over at Tuvok, saw the blood and was instantly interested. He went instantly to work, patching up the skin.

"The Medi-gel did most of the work on patching up the internal organs, but most of it has been shredded away by whatever blast you came across, so I will have to either use stem cells to regenerate the lost tissue or patch it up using Geth technology…" the salarian rambled on to himself in a low, husky voice.

"Thank you for your help, Dr. Saleon," Tuvok said, though he didn't sound like he meant it. In fact, his voice had no emotion at all.

"So," Benezia pulled a chair and sat down across from Tuvok, leg crossed in a seductive manner. "Please tell us what happened."

"Yeah," the major said, chuckling and turning his chair to face him. "Tell the class because we are all _dying_ to know." He smiled his wide smile and cigar in hand.

"Well, Major Ellison, if I can have a moment, I can tell you," Tuvok looked at his wound for a moment and at Dr. Saleon. "I went to meet the quarian at the alleyway where Fist sent her."

"And thanks to me," Ellison snickered. "Fist is no longer a problem for us!"

"Please, Major," Benezia snapped. "Continue, Tuvok."

"Everything was going alright at first," Tuvok continued, wincing as Saleon worked. "Then she got scared. She backed out and tried to run, killing two of our men in the process. I apprehended her and attempted to get the information from her. She wasn't cooperating. I was about to kill her and that was when Garrus Vakarian opened fire." Dr. Saleon looked up briefly from his work, but looked down to continue.

"You didn't sense him coming into the area?" Benezia asked.

"No," Tuvok answered. "My attention was on the quarian at the time. As I was saying, he had opened fire and I was forced to throw the quarian at him."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait," Ellison said, smiling. "You _threw_ the quarian? _Literally threw _her?" He was on the verge of laughing hysterically.

"Well, I was forced to improvise," Tuvok replied. "We were attacked by a group of people. I dealt with them but was forced to run when the human blew up the pistol Warlord Jarrod gave me and gave me this."

"You _blew _up my gun?" Jarrod spun from the window, looking at Tuvok incredulously.

"No," Tuvok said. "I said it got blown up by a human." Jarrod rolled his eyes and looked out the window.

"Did you get their names?" Benezia asked.

"While I was fighting them, I managed to sneak a peek into their minds," Tuvok told her. "Their names are as follows:

"Battlemaster Urdnot Wrex."

Warlord Urdnot Jarrod turned slowly, face-showing confusion.

"Machinist Tali'Zorah nar Rayya."

The Geth Prime barely moved, but with an impulse not programmed in its brain, it slowly brought a claw to the scar on its chest.

"Agent Garrus Vakarian."

Dr. Saleon cracked his neck, a small knowing smile on his face.

"Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko."

Tuvok Vyrnnus had something that looked like a warm, caring smile on his face.

"Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams."

Major Harlan Ellison smiled a knowing smile, like he was gleefully hiding some deep, dark secret.

"And Commander John Shepard."

The chair in the middle of the room stirred.

Matriarch Benezia paused, deep in thought.

"So the Commander has the quarian?" Benezia asked after a moment.

"Yes," Tuvok answered. "By now, he has evidence that connects Saren with the geth. They'll present the information to the Council, and prove that Saren is a traitor."

"That no longer matters."

Everyone turned towards the chair in the center of the room as Saren rose from it. Raising his arms, he gestured to the Ward arms that seemed to extend from the windows.

"It no longer matters if this pitiful Citadel knows of our plans," Saren spoke to them all. "As of now, we now command a force strong enough to attack the Citadel forces and now, we no longer need to be kept a secret. And with me, I now have enough resources to accomplish my goal."

Saren turned and looked towards each of them.

"Matriarch Benezia, my dear advisor."

Benezia nodded.

"Warlord Urdnot Jarrod and his army of krogans at his command."

Jarrod grunted.

"Scar and his army of geth at his command."

Scar, the Geth Prime, looked at Saren with his one flashlight eye at the mention of his designated name.

"Dr. Saleon and his research into human, krogan, and turian biology and geth technology."

Saleon blinked.

"Tuvok Vyrnnus and his knowledge of the mind."

Tuvok cracked his neck.

"And Major Harlan Ellison, and his infiltration of the Alliance military, constantly funneling us information about the movements of the military and of the Citadel."

Ellison smiled viciously.

"I know you all joined my cause with different reasons. You all come from different backgrounds and different lives. But you all saw what had to be done and agreed to give up those lives to join me. As we are now, nobody can stop the coming of the future. Nobody can stop the return of the exterminators of the galaxy. Nothing can stand in the way of the coming wave of fire that will spread throughout the entire universe."

Everyone straightened as Saren gave his speech.

"Nobody, except for us," Saren finished with a wicked grin.

The group gave their nods of assent. Saren looked at each of them in the eye with a smile.

"Now," Saren said. "Let us leave this pathetic Citadel."

Saren walked away, shoulders broad and stance prideful. Matriarch Benezia followed him, keeping a step behind him to his right. Tuvok Vyrnnus shrugged his leather coat back on as he held his side. Dr. Saleon took his laptop and held it close to his chest as he walked after them, hunched over. Major Harlan Ellison threw his cigar on the ground and walked on, straightening his Alliance Military coat with a grin. Warlord Urdnot Jarrod cracked his neck with a growl and walked beside them. And Scar, the geth prime, faded away, being nothing more than a hologram.

The group left he Citadel that night and headed out into the dark, abysmal maw of their otherworldly ship, which welcomed them with outstretched arms.

* * *

As I wrote the turian biotic scene, I had one thing running through my mind: The Force Unleashed.

Anyone see the Mass Effect 2 teaser? Anyone else stoked out of their fucking minds? Did you see where Shepard is dead? Jeez, BioWare, you're not giving me a whole lot to work with here.

Had to change the birth date I had listed in the Prologue to match the one given in the trailer. Despite this being my own creation, I still want to stick pretty close to the original storyline. That being said, I will create my own unique story in the process.

As such, you'll probably be seeing Saren a lot more than he did in the game itself, as well as these other characters I've created. It's always fun to see a story from another perspective.


	14. Extra: A Matter of Pride

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«Extra: The Citadel: C-Sec Academy: Medical Wing»

«or A Matter of Pride»

Ashley sat on one of the chairs lining the hallway, staring at her hands. There was nothing on them: no blood, no gunpowder residue, nothing. All of it was wiped clean. But still, when she looked at her palms once more, she could still see nothing.

She could do nothing in the last fight. The proof was on her hands.

When she went to fight that crazed _turian_ biotic, she was flung away like a grain of dust, leaving the others to fight for her. Wiping her hands, she tried to remove the evidence, even though there was none.

Perhaps that was what she was trying to wipe away.

Hearing a loud thud beside her, she glanced over. The krogan had sat himself next to her. Not to close, but in the same proximity. Ashley glared at the krogan and continued to look at her hands. She needed to be by herself and the krogan was not helping. Not one bit.

"Never really worked with a female before," Wrex's gruff voice broke her concentration. "All krogan women have to stay home and focus on breeding."

Ashley's face showed a soft sign of contempt. She didn't want to hear this right now.

"Sorry to disappoint you," she said harshly. Wrex looked over at her.

"Didn't say I was disappointed," Wrex told her. "I could get used to it. It gives the fight…a different flavor." Ashley continued to glare at her hands.

"Well, I've never fought with a krogan before," Ashley retorted. She glared at the krogan. "And I've never seen one get tossed around so easily." To her complete surprise, the krogan started laughing. Confused, Ashley looked on incredulously at the sight.

"You're going to have to try a lot harder than that to hurt _my_ pride, Williams," Wrex told her after he was done. "That is what you're trying to do, right? Hurt my pride because yours is hurt?" He looked over at Ashley and she saw something that she didn't think she'd ever see.

Understanding.

It disgusted her.

Scoffing, Ashley got up and walked away, trying to keep her head up high.

"I thought you would have learned how to live with your faults, Williams. You are a soldier after all," Wrex said after her. Ashley stopped in her tracks but didn't turn around. Wrex leaned back against the wall, arms crossed. He continued.

"Today, we fought against one of the most powerful biotics I or anyone have ever seen before," Wrex said. "He could tear the plating off of the walls like it was paper, fling a 500 pound krogan into a wall as if it was a stick. And you're beating yourself up because you got knocked around by it?"

Ashley didn't turn around, trying not to listen.

"It's always a shock to some warriors when they first meet someone they can't beat," Wrex continued. "Especially to the young ones. It's hard to be shown exactly where on the food chain they _really _are, and not just where they _think_ they are. And it upsets them greatly. I saw a young krogan sulk for nearly a month when he was shown his place. In my culture, we say something to those who are like that."

Wrex than cleared his throat, opened his mouth and a strange noise came out. Ashley couldn't make out what it was and turned her head to look at the strange krogan.

"What was that?" she asked. Wrex looked at her.

"That was a mix between a cough and a hack," Wrex explained. "In my culture, when used among good friends, it's a playful jab. Like when you humans call each other "gay" or "pussys" or whatever weird words you call each other. It's merely a nice way to poke fun at each other. But among warriors on the battlefield, it has a different meaning."

Wrex stood up and looked into Ashley's eyes.

"Among warriors, when someone makes that noise, it means they think the other is being incredibly stupid," Wrex said simply. Ashley mouth opened a little bit.

"So I make this noise to you now," Wrex's voice was grave and commanding. "Because you are being incredibly stupid. Welcome to the universe, Williams. There will always be someone stronger than you, but if you spend so long focusing on your faults and defects, you will get no closer to defeating your enemies. You will degrade until even a child can defeat you. And where will that lead you? Instead of focusing on your flaws, turn them into your strengths."

Ashley slowly began to see the wisdom in his words.

"Every warrior has something they wish to work on," Wrex concluded. "Even Shepard, who you seem to admire so much. What makes the good warriors different from the other ones, is their will and strive to fix themselves."

Ashley and Wrex stared at each other for a moment longer. After awhile, they broke eye contact and Wrex went his own way, leaving Ashley to her thoughts. She stood there until Kaidan found her.

"Ashley," Kaidan said. She turned to greet him.

"Kaidan," Ashley said. She didn't know they were on a first name basis, but she went with it. "How's the headache?" Kaidan rubbed his temple.

"It's going away now," Kaidan said. "You?"

"Not a scratch on me," Ashley said sheepishly. Kaidan looked at her for a moment.

"This doesn't make you a bad soldier, Chief," Kaidan whispered. Ashley looked at him. "It just shows you-" Ashley stopped him.

"Lieutenant, I appreciate what you're doing but I already got this speech from the krogan," Ashley told him. "I know that I was stupid to just sulk about not being perfect in every single way. I just need to make sure I _am_ perfect later."

Kaidan looked a bit longer at Ashley, then smiled.

"Then I guess I don't need to say anything, do I?" Kaidan asked, chuckling. Ashley joined him, and they sat down. They didn't say anything, but they didn't need to. Everything that needed to be said had been said. Except for one thing.

"Any idea when Shepard is going to wake up?" Ashley asked. There was a loud crash and a thud. And then loud yells from down the hall.

"WHERE THE HELL ARE MY PANTS?" A loud exclamation came from a voice that sounded just like Shepard's.

"I think he's awake now," Kaidan commented. Ashley nodded as she heard Wrex laugh from his end of the hall and saw Garrus and Tali poke their heads out of the room.

* * *

A good friend of mine commented on my last chapter, asking me a question: if Saren hates humans so much, why does he have a human subordinate with him?

Short answer: no idea.

Long answer: I was not thinking when I created this particular villain, as I was extremely excited with the process of writing and all that jazz, so if there are discrepancies, I apologize tremendously.

That said, I'm going to keep him. I still have plans for him, though I'll have to address the relationship between Saren and the good old major at some point or other. Remind me if I don't cause 7/10 is the chance that I will forget.

Writing a new story for FanFiction. It'll be about Fable and Fable 2. Ideas are still pending so leave me alone about it.

Till next time, cheers.


	15. Chapter 11: Proof

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«1.06: The Citadel: C-Sec Academy: Medical Wing»

«or Proof»

Shepard sat upright in his bed, his arm in a sling, its quiet throb annoying him. Surrounding him were the members of his 'team.' It was still strange thinking of them like that. They had only met most of them a few hours ago, but now, they seemed to have bonded enough to talk to each other one on one. Even Ashley, who Shepard knew was slightly prejudiced against aliens, was beginning to warm up to the others, including Wrex.

In her own way.

"You're a jackass, Wrex," Ashley told him flatly.

"Your one to talk, wench," Wrex gruffly shot back.

And that went on for a while. Shepard wasn't really listening to what they were talking about in the first place.

Garrus, on the other hand seemed to have taken a liking to the quarian (Tali, he believed her name was). The two talked quietly in the corner, sometimes laughing at whatever joke they made. Shepard smiled as he watched the two, good memories playing in his mind.

Kaidan, on the other hand, was busy looking at a worn out picture, lost in his own thoughts. Whatever it was about, Kaidan seemed quite depressed about it, from the hunch in his shoulders to the momentary sighs. Shepard guessed it had something to do with that biotic turian they encountered. But it was Kaidan's own personal problem and if he wanted to talk to Shepard about it, Shepard would listen. If he didn't want to talk about it, Shepard wouldn't pressure him. Not until it was absolutely necessary.

One question still lingered in his mind.

"Why the hell are you all in my room?" Shepard asked.

"Because Captain Anderson ordered us to meet to discuss our findings," Ashley replied, never taking her eyes off of Wrex. "And since you can't be moved, he said we should meet in your room. He should be here any minute now."

Just as she spoke, the Captain himself came into the room. Kaidan and Ashley shot onto their feet and gave a sharp salute. Shepard gave his own salute, though he couldn't stand. He wanted to and almost did, but his ribs didn't agree with him.

Captain Anderson returned the salute.

"At ease," Anderson told them. Kaidan and Ashley remained standing, though they relaxed a little. Anderson made eye contact with Shepard before he whispered. "Mind your temper and be polite."

After the words left his mouth, Ambassador Udina stalked into the room, his eyes a fire with rage. Shepard met his glare and a small-amused smile crept onto his lips.

"You're not making my life easy, Shepard," Udina barely controlled his rage. "Firefights in the wards, an all out assault on Chora's Den, do you have any idea how many people I've had to talk to so they wouldn't scream for you head!" Udina rage boiled out by the time he finished his sentence.

"And I thank you kindly for it," Shepard told him. Then added, "Sir." Captain Anderson told him to be polite.

"Do you have _any_ idea what this may do to our attempts of you joining the Spectres?" Udina held out his hands incredulously. "The Council could bar you from the Spectre's permanently!"

"Then we'll give them good reason to listen to us," Shepard shot back, then nodded to the quarian, who was still amazed by the fight between them. "She can help us with that." Udina started slightly when he saw her, having just noticed her.

"A quarian?" Udina questioned. "What are you up to, Shepard?"

"Making your day, Ambassador," Shepard leaned forward a little. "She has evidence that links Saren to the geth."

"Really?" Udina noticeably brightened. "Maybe you should start at the beginning Miss…"

"My name is Tali. Tali'Zorah nar Rayya," Tali introduced herself and standing up.

"We don't see many quarians here," Udina remarked. "Why did you leave the Flotilla?"

"I was on my Pilgrimage," Tali answered. Seeing Garrus' confused expression, she explained, "My rite of passage into adulthood. When we reach the proper age, we leave the Flotilla to journey the stars. Alone, we search and try to find things of value and worth that can be sent back to the Flotilla."

"And you found something," Shepard guessed. "Something to catch Saren's attention."

"And the attention of that turian," Kaidan remarked.

"What turian?" Udina asked.

"We'll explain later, it's not important," Shepard cut in. "Tell us what you found."

"During my travel, I began hearing reports of geth," Tali explained. "Since they drove my people into exile, the geth have never ventured beyond the Veil. I was curious. I tracked a patrol of geth to an uncharted world. I waited for one to become separated from its unit, then I disabled it and removed its memory core."

"I thought the geth fried their memory cores when they're disabled," Anderson remarked. "Some kind of defense mechanism."

"How did you manage to preserve the memory core?" Garrus asked. Shepard leaned forward slightly, intrigued.

"My people created the geth," Tali said with some hesitation. Shame? "If you're quick, careful and lucky, small caches of data can sometimes be saved."

"Lucky you," Wrex commented. Tali looked over at him, not really sure if that was a compliment.

"Most of the core was wiped clean," Tali activated her Omni-Tool and pressed a few buttons. "But I salvaged _this_ from its audio banks."

Soon enough, a voice began to resound from the Omni-Tool. An all too familiar voice.

"Eden Prime was a major victory," Saren's voice said arrogantly. "The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit."

The room was in silence.

"That was Saren's voice!" Anderson exclaimed. "This proves he was involved in the attack on Eden Prime!"

"We got him," Shepard smiled.

"He said that the beacon brought him one step closer to the Conduit," Ashley said. "Any idea what that means?"

"Not really," Shepard whispered. Something was nagging the back of his head, however. A creeping sense of familiarity was coming forward slowly. But it was infinitesimally small, that Shepard paid it no mind.

"It must have something to do with the Beacon. Maybe it's a piece of lost Prothean technology," Anderson's eyes widened. "Like a weapon."

Shepard sighed. More crap he would have to deal with later.

"Wait," Tali interjected. "There's more. Saren isn't working alone. According to the recording, he was with two other people." Tali played back the clip.

"Eden Prime was a major victory," Saren's voice said arrogantly. "The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit."

"And one step closer to the return of the Reapers," came a deep and seductive womanly voice.

"When shall we start, Spectre Saren?" came an almost bored voice that Tali recognized.

"Soon, my friend. Soon," Saren answered with a soft chuckle.

The clip ended.

"I don't recognize the other voice, the one talking about 'Reapers,'" Udina noted.

"But the third voice is definitely the turian we met in the alleyway," Tali told them.

"You're sure?" Shepard said. Tali nodded.

"Positive," Tali told him firmly.

"Explain," Udina ordered. Shepard rolled his eyes.

"In the alleyway, Saren sent the third guy to kill Tali," Shepard told him hurriedly. This wasn't what was important. "We drove him off, but not before he did the damage you see before you. Now, these Reapers...I feel like I've heard that name before…" that sense of recognition slowly began to creep forward again. This time, Shepard paid attention.

"The Reapers were a hyper-advanced machine race that existed 50,000 years ago," Tali explained. The Reapers hunted the Protheans to total extinction and then they vanished! At least, that's what the geth believe."

"Sounds a little farfetched," Udina snorted. Shepard wasn't listening. He was battling something in his head. A rush of memories that came unbidden at the name of the Reapers.

_______War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death_-

Pain.

"_Don't worry-_

Shepard blinked.

_______War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death_-

Agony.

_-John," said the girl-_

**Reapers…**

_______War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death_-

_-whose face was a bloody mess. "I'll-_

Anguish.

_-protect you."_

_-Prothean-_

Suffering.

_The bloody girl smiled warmly._

…**flee…**

_______War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death_-

Carnage.

_The bloody girl began to scream…_

…**for they will exterminate you all…**

"The vision on Eden Prime," Shepard breathed deeply as the memories faded away. A bead of sweat dripped down his forehead. Only Ashley saw it. "I may understand it now…"

Everyone looked at him. Shepard wiped his arm across his forehead.

"I may have seen the Protheans being slaughtered by the Reapers," Shepard told them.

"The geth revere the Reapers as gods," Tali's voice was barely above a whisper. "The pinnacle of non-organic life. And they believe Saren knows how to bring the Reapers back."

"Great," Wrex grumbled. "We just entered a machine holy war."

"This sounds like something from Dune," Shepard mumbled.

"Dune, sir?" Kaidan asked. Shepard waved him off.

"It's an old book written back during the 20th," Shepard told him, a small amount of annoyance creeping in. He didn't feel like explaining the novel to them. He instead watched Udina shake his head, an incredulous smile on his face.

"The Council is going to love this," Udina muttered. Shepard sighed. He was right.

"Well, if they're as dangerous as Tali says they are, then we have to tell them, right?" Garrus spoke up. Shepard thought for a moment.

"Back on Earth, there was a series of military campaigns in a certain part of the world that was called the Crusades," Shepard told them. "There were two main armies: the Catholic Church and the Saracens. They were fighting over ownership over the Holy Lands, specifically a place called Jerusalem. The Catholic Crusaders believed that Jerusalem was one of the holiest places in the entire world. It was also the place where the Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth, was judged and eventually crucified, making him a martyr for all of mankind's sins. The Saracens were already rulers of Jerusalem, for the Dome of Rock was in the city. The Dome of the Rock was allegedly the place where the Islamic prophet, Mohammed, ascended into heaven with the angel Gabriel, which, coincidently, is also one of the angels the Catholic Church believed in. It was a long and bloody war, for there were no guns or canons or kinetic barriers. Just your sword, a metal plate for a shield and a few centimeters of steel covering your body. Each Crusade lasted about 4 years on average, there being about 15 Crusades. Just constant battle between the Catholics and the Muslims."

"What's your point?" Garrus asked, intrigued. Even Udina held his silence and Wrex listened attentively.

"The other reason the Catholics went to war was because their leader, the Pope by the name of Urban II, had said that it was God's will. God had told him to go to war with the Saracens and reclaim the Holy Lands. And everyone agreed," Shepard went on. "To this day, nobody really knows if that's what he truly believed. Now, take Saren. He has an army of geth at his fingertips, ready to die for him because they believe that the Reapers told him to, or that they believe that he will bring them back or whatever it was. Now, how can we be sure that Saren is going to bring the Reapers back? Is that his true goal? For all we know, he could be using them for something else."

Garrus nodded as he saw the logic behind his words. Shepard sighed.

"But," Shepard said. "If they really want to know why the geth are following him, we could tell them then." He looked straight at Udina when he said this.

"No matter what they think about the rest of this," Anderson said. "This audio file proves Saren's a traitor!"

"The captain's right," Udina agreed. "We need to present this to the Council right away."

"What about her?" Wrex said. "The quarian?"

"My name is Tali!" she exclaimed. Then she looked squarely at the commander. "You saw me in the alley commander, and you've heard of what I can do. Let me come with you!"

"I'm sorry," Shepard told her. "I was under the impression that you already _were_ part of my team. Am I mistaken?" Tali started. Shepard hid his smile. He was beginning to find her…interesting. Too bad she was wearing that mask. He couldn't tell if she was happy. But he could hear it in her voice when she answered.

"Thanks, commander!" Tali exclaimed. "You won't regret this!"

"But what about your Pilgrimage?" Garrus asked.

"The Pilgrimage proves that we are willing to give ourselves up for the greater good," Tali told him firmly. "What does it say about me if I turn my back on this? Saren is a danger to the entire galaxy. My Pilgrimage can wait."

Garrus accepted this and nodded as he smiled. Kaidan smiled along with Ashley. Wrex was busy checking the sight on his pistol.

"Anderson and I will go ahead and get things ready with the Council," Udina told him. "We'll let you know when they're ready. For now, just focus on getting better." With that he turned his back and left the room. Anderson made eye contact with Shepard and nodded before he left.

"How the hell can I focus on getting better?" Shepard mumbled. "I'm not a frickin' psychic or something. I can't just get better just focusing. What does he expect me to do, concentrate on my bones realigning? Where the hell are my cigarettes?" He looked around for them eagerly.

"You're in the hospital!" Ashley said, disbelieving what she was hearing. "Sir."

"You should listen to her, John," a melodic voice came from the door. "She's speaking sense, unlike you."

Everyone turned as a woman walked into the room, wearing her professional military uniform. She wore the insignia of Staff Commander, one step above John's rank.

"Oh shit," Shepard said. Kaidan gaped for a moment before standing at attention and saluting. Ashley quickly followed his example, though she didn't know who the woman was. Or why she walked up to Shepard and slapped him across the face, hard enough to leave a red imprint on his right cheek.

"What the hell was that for?" Shepard shouted, rubbing his check.

"What the hell happened to you, boy?" the Staff Commander placed her fists on her hips. "What, did you forget all that Special Forces training? N7 my ass!" She slapped him again on the other cheek.

"Woman, I am in the hospital!" Shepard shouted at him, now rubbing both cheeks. "I have a dislocated shoulder, two broken ribs and you just waltz in here and start smacking me around like you own the damn place! Are you menstruating?"

Bad question.

Before Ashley could understand what was happening, the Staff Commander seemed to have Shepard in a neck lock and was punching him in the head. Soft enough as to not cause bleeding or cuts, but hard enough to leave an impression.

"What the hell did you just say? Is that how you talk to your superior officer?" she shouted as she punched his head.

"Is this how you treat all your inferior officers?" Shepard shot back, trying to break the stranglehold.

Ashley didn't really know what to make of this. This was by far the one of the most bizarre things she has ever seen. Hesitantly, she cleared her throat. The Staff Commander looked up and seemed to notice her for the first time.

"Oh, hello there," her face instantly turned cheery, a big smile dominating her face. "I don't believe we've met!"

"Don't just act like nothing happened, woman!" Shepard shouted.

"If you want me to be nice, then you better introduce me before I take out the ruler and spank you like the whiney little baby that you are!" Hannah shouted back. This stopped Shepard in his tracks. He cleared his throat hesitantly and gave the introductions.

"Everyone, this is Staff Commander Hannah Shepard," Shepard told them. "My stepmother and XO of the _SSV Kilimanjaro_. Hannah, this is Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams…"

Ashley saluted sharply. Hannah saluted back.

"…Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko…"

"Ma'am!" Kaidan saluted as Hannah saluted him as well.

"At ease," she told both of them. They relaxed slightly.

"…Citadel Security Agent Garrus Vakarian…"

Hannah looked over at the turian and to Garrus' complete surprise, she placed her hand to heart, hand opened and bowed slightly.

"_La Vara Thracia_," she spoke warmly. This was the traditional turian greeting among close friends. Having seen the pattern painted upon Garrus' face, she was able to discern which colony he belonged to. In the turian language, it was something close to "Honor to Thracia." It was surprising that a human would know something of turian culture.

In response, Garrus repeated the motion.

"_La Vara Earth,_" Garrus spoke just as warmly. Hannah smiled back.

"…Krogan Battlemaster Urdnot Wrex…"

Hannah looked at the krogan and took him by surprise.

"Be selfish for tomorrow, you may die," Hannah lifted her arm, revealing the back of her forearm. Wrex's eyes widened momentarily, and then were overcome with amusement.

"Same for you," Wrex bumped the back of his forearm against hers. What he said wasn't the real response, but it was close enough. He never really liked it. It did roll off the tongue as well.

"…and our newest member, Tali'Zorah nar Rayya," Shepard finished, still rubbing his cheeks and head.

Hannah stopped in front of the quarian.

"I'm sorry, I haven't spent a lot of time with quarians, so don't know the correct way to greet you," she said, smiling embarrassingly. Tali chuckled. "But it is good to meet you.

"Likewise," Tali responded cheerfully.

"So this is your team, is it, John?" Hannah said. Shepard nodded.

"This is it," Shepard replied. Looking up, he added, "Team, you have an hour to yourselves. Spend it as you wish. I'll let you all know if anything comes up."

Translation: I want a little privacy.

Slowly, they all said their good-byes and left the two Shepards to themselves. When the door closed, Hannah turned around and looked at her stepson. She smiled.

"You like them, don't you?" Hannah said. Shepard looked up.

"They're good soldiers," Shepard told her.

"I know that," Hannah said. She went around and sat on his bed, carefully avoiding his legs so she wouldn't sit on them. "But you really like them. Not as soldiers, but as people." Shepard stared at her for a moment, then brought a hand to his face, concealing it. Hannah smiled at this. She knew that when her stepson brought his hand up to his face, he was trying to hide his smile. He always did that as a child.

"You always could read me like a book, Hannah," John told her, voice betraying his smile.

"You're not that hard to read," Hannah replied. She smiled at him. It didn't bother her that he still referred to her by her name.

She leaned forward and kissed her stepson on the forehead, running a hand through his short cut hair. Her smile faded away as she thought.

"But you won't let them in, will you?" Hannah leaned away from him. She looked at his face; his blue eyes, his pale scar.

"They don't need to be," John told her as he looked up. Hannah sighed.

"Eventually, you'll find someone who will want to come in, and perhaps you will willingly tear down the wall and let them," Hannah told him. Her stepson sighed annoyingly.

"They don't need to be," Commander Shepard told her defiantly. Hannah sighed again. Then smiled.

"So what are you working on now?" She asked him.

John told her everything with a pleased smile on his face and Hannah gladly listened to him speak. After that, John listened to what Hannah was working on. For over half an hour, they held counsel with each other, smiling all the while.

* * *

And now we meet the stepmother. I know that there's surprisingly a lot of humor in this part, but I enjoyed writing it and I wanted to show you that these aren't just soldiers, these are real people who can simulate more emotions then just the gruff and no-nonsense attitude. Sometimes, they laugh and cry.

We also get to see another, more personal side of Commander John Shepard. Did you notice how when he's talking to Hannah, he is referred to as John, but when he talks to his team, he is referred to as Shepard? Like when I write "blah blah blah **said Shepard**" or "blah blah blah **said John**." That's what I'm talking about.

Also started a new story called "A Fable of Heroes From Ages Old and New." It'll be about the game Fable. This will be more of a side project than anything else, so I won't work on it as much. That being said, I expect it to be shorter than this one will be. So expect a chapter once every month or so for that one. This is my main project but again, I won't make any promises. Tell me what you think and I'll continue it.

The next one will be another Extra and it'll feature Ashley and Hannah.


	16. Chapter 12: Declaration and Ascension

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«1.07: The Citadel: C-Sec Academy: Medical Wing»

«or Declaration and Ascension»

When Ashley returned to the Medical Wing, once again in her uncomfortable formal attire, she saw Hannah Shepard leave the commander's room with a soft smile on her face. Placing her hat back on her head, Hannah looked over to see Ashley walking towards her. Her smile broadened.

"Ashley, correct?" Hannah asked. Ashley saluted sharply.

"Ma'am, yes ma'am," Ashley answered. Hannah shook her head.

"You can stop with that saluting crap, I'm not on duty," Hannah told her. "Just call me Hannah." Ashley blushed slightly and put her hand down slowly. She wasn't used to being this close to a high-ranking officer. Or maybe it was because she was _his_ stepmother? She wasn't sure herself.

"How is the commander?" Ashley asked.

"Still the hard ass that he always was," Hannah replied. "Claims he knows his own body well enough to ignore the doctors orders. And mine. He's getting changed as we speak."

"His arm is still weak, though," Ashley remarked. Hannah lifted her arms in a shrug, shaking her head incredulously.

"Like I said. John's still the hard ass he always was," Hannah told her. "He's always been like that."

"Like what?" Ashley asked.

"Independent," Hannah answered. "John has always pushed himself beyond his limits. He's never really cared about his well-being. I guess in his mind, if he believes he can do it, he'll do it, regardless if his body agrees with him or not. And most of the time, he's right." Ashley nodded slightly. She could see his independence; it was obvious during the fight against Fist. Ashley was still in shock from it.

"How do you think he got that way?" Ashley asked. Hannah chuckled.

"You've been talking to Dr. Chakwas, haven't you?" Hannah grinned. Ashley blushed even harder. She stammered as she tried to explain herself, to which Hannah only laughed. "Don't worry about it. I guess on the outside, John is a really interesting person. He's witty, dark, and sometimes stubborn, but he's a soldier and one of the best the Alliance has. I guess anyone with half a brain would want to know why he's like that."

"It'd be easier if he wasn't so private," Ashley said, slightly jokingly. Hannah smiled.

"That isn't privacy," Hannah said. "It's fear." Ashley looked at Hannah, slightly in shock.

"Fear, ma'am?" Ashley asked. Hannah nodded and turned to look at Ashley straight in the face, shoulders squared.

"Now, listen closely, because what I'm going to tell you is very important," Hannah's voice was very stern. "John's past a very violent and very personal. I've only come across glimpses of it, and I can tell you, it's not pretty. Because of this, John has shielded himself from the rest of the universe. Sure, he may be fun at times, but that is mostly a façade. He will never let people get close to him because he's scared. Scared of what, I don't really know. Maybe he's just scared of people in general or scared of being hurt again. But what I do know is that this cannot go on any longer."

Ashley stood in a stunned silence for a moment.

"Why are you telling me this, ma'am?" Ashley asked quietly. Hannah smiled.

"Because I am a mother and he is my son," Hannah replied. "I worry about him greatly. I am afraid that he will always live with the fear and pain that currently bars his heart from everyone else; the pain and fear that darkens his world. I am afraid that in his darkness, he will die, never knowing true happiness."

Hannah looked at her for a moment and smiled.

"You're infatuated with him, aren't you?" Hannah asked bluntly. If Ashley was embarrassed before, she was completely bright red now.

"Well, infatuated is such a…strong term. I find him, um…" Ashley couldn't finish the sentence.

"That's all I need from you," Hannah interrupted. "Just prove to him that he doesn't need to be afraid all the time. The fear drives him to do outrageous things. Things that will always put him in harms way. Maybe he wants to die or whatever, but he does have a death wish, I can tell that much. That's why I need you to help him. Bring him out of the darkness."

"Why me, ma'am?" Ashley asked.

"Because he likes you," Hannah replied again, adding to her redness. "And not just you, the others as well. Kaidan, Garrus, Tali, even Wrex. For the first time, he's found people that he actually likes. So, I need you and the others to help him. Heal him for me. Please." Hannah's expression was that of resigned confidence. Ashley couldn't say no. She saluted.

"Aye aye, ma'am," Ashley said, smiling. Hannah smiled as well and saluted.

"Where should I begin? Do you have an ideas?" Ashley asked. Hannah smiled again.

"Try to not be so formal around him," Hannah replied. "When he's with his superiors, call him by 'sir' and what not. But when it's just one to one, call him Shepard. It'll show him that you don't see him as his commanding officer, but as a person. That'll help."

"What's going on here?" Shepard asked as he walked out of his room, all dressed up in his formal attire.

"Just a little girl talk," Hannah said cheerfully. "I have to get going back to the Kilimanjaro. Remember what I told you, alright Chief?"

"Yes, ma'am," Ashley replied. Hannah reached over and kissed John on his cheek. John almost sighed. Seeing this, Hannah pulled on the spot she kissed.

"Didn't I teach you any manners?" Hannah asked angrily.

"No," Shepard replied. Rubbing his cheek, the sides of his mouth twitched to an almost smile. "I'll see you later, Hannah."

"See you later, John," She smiled and with a final look at Ashley, she turned on her heels and left, back straight as if a burden was lifted from her shoulders. Shepard and Ashley watched her leave.

"What did she talk to you about?" Shepard asked.

"Girl stuff," Ashley replied and looked at Shepard. Glancing at his suit, she noticed his tie was a mess. Sighing, she reached up and began to retie it. Shepard looked down at her, slightly startled and slightly confused.

"Honestly, Shepard," Ashley said. "Don't you know how to tie your own tie by now?"

"I don't really care," Shepard told her. "The Council is barely looking at our clothes at all. Why the hell should I pay any attention to it?"

"Because you are representing our entire human race," Ashley told him firmly. "It's good to make a good impression with someone who has the power to wipe you out in a millisecond. Now stop moving so I can get this right." And Shepard did, though he narrowed his eyes.

"What did you talk with Hannah about?" Shepard asked suspiciously. Ashley smiled to herself.

"Girl stuff," Ashley told him. She looked up at him and suddenly realized that she was extremely close to him. If she just stood on her toes, she could kis-. Ashley killed that thought before it could finish. But she also noticed that Shepard was blushing slightly. She smiled inwardly. He was just as uncomfortable as she was. Ashley continued to fix his tie. Shepard looked slightly past her, trying to avoid her gaze.

"Thank you," John said.

"You're welcome," Ashley said.

____\::/::\::/::\::/

Shepard walked into the Council chambers, followed by his new team. He walked up the stairs and was met by Captain Anderson, who turned to greet them. Shepard lifted a hand to his side, a sign for his team to stay back. They weren't on trial here and didn't need to be involved. His team stopped at the base of the stairs. They could still hear what was going on.

"C'mon," Anderson said as Shepard walked up the stairs. "Udina is presenting the evidence to the Council."

"Let's pray they listen," Shepard muttered. As he neared the podium, he heard the recording once more.

""Eden Prime was a major victory," Saren's voice said arrogantly. "The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit."

"And one step closer to the return of the Reapers," came a deep and seductive womanly voice.

"When shall we start, Spectre Saren?" came the slight bored turian's voice.

"You wanted proof," Udina claimed. "There it is."

"This evidence is irrefutable, Ambassador," the turian councilor said, stately and regimented. "Saren will be stripped of his Spectre status and all efforts will be made to bring him in to answer for his crimes."

"I recognize the other voices, the one speaking with Saren," the asari councilor spoke up, looking slightly confused and worried. "Matriarch Benezia and Tuvok Vyrnnus."

Shepard perked at the last name. He recognized the name from Kaidan Alenko's dossier. Shepard glanced behind him and saw Kaidan's face. He recognized the name as well. And there was pain there as well. Shepard wouldn't ask him about it yet. Not until it became absolutely necessary.

"And who are they?" Shepard looked back at the councilors. The three councilors looked amongst themselves for a moment.

"The Matriarchs are powerful asari who have entered the final stage of their lives," the asari councilor told them. "Revered for their wisdom and experience, they serve as guides and mentors to my people. Matriarch Benezia is a powerful biotic and had many followers."

"But not as powerful as Tuvok Vyrnnus," the turian councilor said. "He is a rare and unique individual, because he is one of the few turians with natural born biotic abilities. At the age of five, he was able to lift a boulder half the size of the Normandy without breaking a sweat. He was the twin brother of Commander Vyrnnus of the turian military and they worked together on biotic research. Unfortunately, Tuvok became addicted to red sand and hasn't been seen since."

"Red sand?" Ashley whispered questioningly.

"Red sand is an illegal stimulant," Garrus told her. "It's created from very refined element zero, which, as you know, is the main cause of biotic abilities in people such as Kaidan. It causes a brief sense of euphoria and short-term biotic abilities. However for those already with biotic abilities, it increases their power tremendously."

"You know this from experience?" Ashley asked jokingly, to which Garrus stiffened.

"Of course not!" Garrus sounded offended. "How could you-?"

"She's joking, Garrus," Tali told him quietly. "This is human humor."

"Oh," Garrus replied. Ashley smiled.

"Regardless of this, they will make formidable allies for Saren," the salarian councilor said. "I'm more interested in the Reapers. What do you know about them?"

"Only what was extracted from the geth's memory core," Anderson answered. "The Reapers were an ancient race of machines that supposedly wiped out the Protheans 50,000 years ago. Then they vanished."

"The geth believe the Reapers are gods, and that Saren is their prophet. They follow him because they believe that Saren knows how to bring them back from wherever they vanished to," Shepard interjected.

"We think the Conduit is the key to bringing them back," Anderson continued. "Saren's searching for it. That's why he attacked Eden Prime."

"Do we even know what this Conduit is?" the salarian councilor asked.

"Saren thinks it can bring back the Reapers," Shepard told him. "That's bad enough, don't you think?"

"Listen to what you're saying!" the turian councilor exclaimed. "Saren wants to bring back the machines that wiped out all life in the galaxy? Impossible! It has to be! Where did the Reapers go? Why did they vanish? How come we've found no trace of their existence? If they were real, we'd have found something."

"We're just telling you what we know," Shepard shot back. "If you don't want to believe us that's your choice. However, just let us remind you that we were right about Saren and all. It may be in your best interest to trust us this time."

"This is different," the asari councilor's cool voice tried to calm him down. "You proved Saren betrayed the Council. We all agree he's using the geth to search for the Conduit but we don't really know why."

"The Reapers are obviously just a myth, commander," the salarian councilor told him with a slight hint of amusement. "A convenient lie to cover Saren's true purpose. A legend he is using to bend the geth to his will."

"Maybe," Shepard said. "Maybe the Reapers are just so-called gods the geth created when they began thinking on their own. You could say that all gods in the universe are just a bunch of fairy tales told for our amusement. But I know what I saw when the Beacon invaded my mind. I saw machines that weren't geth wiping out the Protheans. I felt their pain as they died. I heard their screams as they were slaughtered."

"Do you expect us to believe-!" the turian councilor exclaimed.

"Frankly and respectfully, councilor, I don't give a flying fuck what you believe!" Shepard interrupted. "I know what I saw and I'm going with my gut and believing it! The Reapers may be just an old legend, but the power they wielded was real! And if Saren get's his hands on it, he could destroy the galactic civilization with a cough!"

"Saren's a rogue agent on the run for his life!" the turian councilor shot back. "He no longer has the rights and resources of a Spectre! The Council has stripped him of his position!"

"That is _not_ good enough!" Udina exclaimed. "You know he's hiding somewhere in the Traverse! Send your fleet in!"

"A _fleet_ cannot track down _one_ man," the salarian councilor said calmly.

"A Citadel fleet could secure the entire region!" Udina told them, but his voice was getting hoarse. "Keep the geth from attacking anymore of our colonies!"

"Or it could trigger a war with the Terminus Systems!" the turian councilor argued. "We won't be dragged into war over a few dozen human colonies!"

"If you won't be brought to war," came a loud booming voice. "Then war shall be brought to you."

Without warning, Saren's holographic form came to life beside the councilors, arms crossed and head lifted arrogantly.

The people standing on the side and on the balconies gasped in terror and fear. The councilors were startled by his presence and then composed themselves quickly. The team was even more startled by his presence but that quickly turned to anger. Captain Anderson's face bore heated disgust. Ambassador Udina quietly sweated a little. Shepard crossed his arms and grinned evilly.

"So," Shepard said aloud. "The traitor decided to come out and play."

"Hello again, Commander Shepard," Saren said pleasantly. "Are you still alive?"

"It'll take more than two half-assed assassins and a sandblasted biotic to kill me, turian," Shepard shot back, still smiling.

"I'll keep that in mind next time, human," Saren's voice betrayed his amusement.

"Trace the signal!" the turian councilor shouted to a nearby guard, who sprinted away towards the console. Shepard saw that the guard didn't know exactly what he was doing. He turned around and faced his team.

"Tali! Lieutenant!" Shepard ordered. "I wanted his location yesterday!"

"Aye aye, sir!" Kaidan replied eagerly.

"Right away!" Tali exclaimed and ran off to a nearby console and pushed the guard away. "Don't get in my way!"

"That's Citadel property!" the guard argued.

"And unless you know how to isolate and trace a single signal from a network of a trillion signals crossing this way and that in under a minute, you'll stand down!" Kaidan ordered him away and peered over her shoulder, making sure that he wasn't in the way.

"Do you think I care if you find me?" Saren chuckled.

"No," Shepard replied. "But the faster I find you, the faster I can kill you."

"Saren Arterius!" the asari councilor spoke up. "You are charged with treason against the Citadel races and its associates. If you do not give yourself up now, you will be brought to justice by any means necessary."

"I'm sorry, good councilor," Saren said with a hint of smugness. "But I don't answer you anymore. I have stood by too long listening to your feeble words. No more."

"I found the signal coming to this room!" Tali exclaimed. "But it'll take some time to figure out where it's coming from!"

"Make it happen," Shepard said.

"I'll just say what I've come to say and I'll be off," Saren said. "As you no doubt have realized, I am no loyal servant of the Citadel. I have allied with the geth and several others have joined me in this venture. Why? I have allied with the geth for my own reasons and they have joined me for their own reasons. What those reasons, you don't need to know. What you do need to know is that I will tear you down from your throne and have you mingle with the filth. You will roll around in the mud under my foot until you drown in it. If you do not comply, you will die along with your pathetic races. Asari, salarian, elcor, hanar, volus, and humans alike will die if they attempt to fight me. This I promise you.

"I will tell you why I have joined the geth. In all my years as a Spectre, I have not found a single race as oppressive and repugnant as the humans. They continue to corrupt and plague this entire galaxy and this Citadel does nothing about it. Their fear of them pins them to the ground. I have no fear of them. They are just another pathetic race that needs to be shown its place. Even if I have to wipe out every one of them if they don't cooperate.

"But then I realized: the reason that the humans have been able to corrupt the other species is because they are just as corrupted. Under the Council's careful guidance, this galaxy as fallen and has been warped into the dishonest, pathetic and anarchistic society you see now. And they continue to fall down, past the ground, eagerly falling faster into the realms of hell. But by myself, I know, I don't have the resources to combat this corruption. But the geth has no love of organics at all. So I went to them. They were at first distrustful, but I proved my hatred of you and we came to an agreement. They will help me bring you to your knees and I will help them bring back the Reapers. They have willingly given artifacts forged by the Reapers that they found and now, I will find the Conduit. It shall be the gateway to your end. For the in the wake of the Conduit, the Reapers shall return and bring this civilization to its knees.

"So I come to you now to give one request: submit or die. This is my declaration of war. War is now upon you, you who have strived for peace and created a society of pain in the process. This war will set this entire corrupt universe to the flame and from the ashes a pure society shall rise. So I say to you all now: war is coming and if you wish survive, submit to my will and the will of the Reapers or run away into the dark corners of the universe and hide. You may hide for a while I will allow that. But eventually you will die. Slowly and painfully. For I declare war on you and you will be destroyed."

"The signal is coming from the Citadel!" Tali exclaimed.

"He's on the Citadel?" Ashley asked excitedly.

"No," Kaidan peered at the screen. "It's coming from the Citadel but it's not the source. Someone is rerouting it manually towards this room. Someone nearby."

"Isolate it and find out where!" Captain Anderson ordered. "Chief Williams, Garrus and Wrex will go and capture this person!"

"Ready and able, sir!" Ashley exclaimed, taking her pistol out and getting it ready.

"About damn time," Wrex grumbled, checking his shotgun. Garrus merely stretched his muscles and took out his rifle.

It took the room a while before they realized that someone was laughing.

It was Shepard.

"Great speech," Shepard applauded slowly. "Very charismatic. But oh, so wrong. You wish to bring this Citadel to its knees because you deem it's corrupt? Who are you to judge? Are you any different from those you claim are corrupt? What ever happened to the turian philosophy of "an individuals personal needs are subordinate to the greater good of the many?" Do you believe that you are serving the greater good of the galaxy by crushing it, killing thousands of innocent people? You know what? Scratch that, I don't really give a fuck what you think.

"What matters now, turian, is that you are declaring war on us. You are, in every aspect of the word, a terrorist. Someone who commits uses terror as a means of coercion. By this definition, you are a criminal to everyone here and a threat to the entire galaxy. As such, you have condemned yourself to death. Death by my hands.

"You claim to have the power to give us two choices. Submit to your crazed whims or die along with the rest. I see a third choice that seems to be clouded by your twisted mind: Fight. We are stronger than you think we are. We have a natural urge to fight those that try to destroy us. And we will fight to the end, even if we die, because we are not intimidated by pathetic weaklings like you who hide behind their supposedly powerful armies instead of getting their own hands dirty.

"But it seems to me that the Council will not do anything. So I will. I will be the one to hunt you down and kill you, with or without the approval of the Council. Because the minute you decided to attack a human colony, you woke up our rage and our fury. I will not stop until you are dead.

"So I say to you: run. Run away as fast as you can. Run and hide in your dark corners. Because if you don't, I will find you and I will kill you with my own two hands. I will fight against you with the anger of those who have died in my fists. Geth? I will break them all. Reapers? They will die under the fury of the dead. The people you have killed to achieve your goals. You failed to kill me and you failed to destroy the human race. And now we're pissed off and willing to die so that you will die, and the lives of the people you killed avenged! This I promise you. Before this is over," Shepard drew his beloved knife and gripped it before himself. "This knife is going in your eye!"

Everyone stood stock still at his speech. Ashley began to see Shepard in a brand new light, along with Garrus, Tali and Kaidan. Wrex was extremely amused and had to contain his laughter of excitement. Captain Anderson couldn't have been prouder and Ambassador Udina regained his courage.

It was Tali who broke the silence.

"Found the source of the signal!" She exclaimed. "It's coming from the base of the Citadel Tower. By the Avina Terminal!"

Ashley, Garrus and Wrex were already running towards the elevator. They got on it and headed down.

Saren began to applaud.

"Very good, human. I'm impressed. Except for one thing. You have no power to condemn me. If you go against the Council, you will condemn your entire race to death by the hands of the Council. Don't you know? The Council will not abide anyone disobeying them, even if it is a non-council race. So, now you are left with nothing. Nothing to do with your entire supposed wrath. Nothing to do all the anger of the dead you claim to wield. So you can do nothing, but defend your pathetic colonies and wait for me to kill you all."

Shepard sheathed his knife and said nothing. He glared at Saren with his sharp blue eyes and Saren glared back, amused and smug. Shepard hated to admit it, but he was right. For all his talk, Humanity now was under the command of the Council.

The asari councilor looked over at the salarian. He looked over at her and nodded. She looked over to the turian. He sighed and nodded. He could see no other way. The asari nodded and the three councilors pressed a button on their separate podiums.

Below the podium where Shepard, Udina and Anderson stood laid a small, vibrant and peaceful garden of trees, grass and rocks. Above that was a glass window where the people could look on and be at ease. After the councilors pressed their buttons, the glass changed. A blue light emanated from the glass and was lifted to the same level as the walkway towards the speaking place. The three councilors stepped from their podiums and onto the blue light, which seemed to support their weight, despite being nothing but light.

"Commander Shepard," the asari's voice was soft but commanding. "Step forward."

Shepard looked at the floor and then at the Captain, who nodded, smiling. Shepard blew out a breath to calm himself. Were they really going to do this now?

Shepard walked forward, passing the ambassador as he did. Looking at the glowing blue light for only a moment, he continued to walk forward. He noticed that the blue light supported him just as much as the normal ground did. He continued to walk forward, head held high. He stopped just short of the councilors.

"Kneel," the asari told him. Shepard hesitated for a moment and then got down on one knee, head bowed. He wasn't familiar with the ceremony, but he guessed it was something like when the Queen of England knights someone. This was just a formality. Still, he had to say he liked it.

The people in the balconies leaned forward; turians, salarians, asari and humans alike watched as Shepard knelt before the Council, whispering among themselves.

"It is the decision of the Council that you, Commander John Shepard, be granted all the powers and privileges of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel," the asari's voice boomed throughout the hall, powerful and commanding. The salarian reached over and placed his hand on the back of Shepard's head.

"Spectres are not trained, but chosen. Individuals forged from the fire of service in battle, those whose actions elevate them above the rank and file. You, Commander John Shepard, have proven yourself to be forged from that fire and have done actions that elevate you above all others," he spoke firmly. "Will you, Commander John Shepard, continue to prove yourself worthy of our choice, worthy to be called one who has ascended above the normal bounds of battle?

"I will," Shepard answered without hesitation. He felt like he was giving wedding vows, but it was part of the ceremony. He went with it. The salarian removed his hand and the asari moved forward to place her hand on his head.

"Spectres are an ideal, a symbol, the embodiment of courage, determination and self-reliance. They are the right hand of the Council, instruments of our will. You, Commander John Shepard, have proven yourself to hold the symbols governed by the Spectres," she voice was commanding. "Will you, Commander John Shepard, continue to uphold these ideals, to be the right hand of the council and be the instrument of our will?"

"I will," Shepard answered again. Though he didn't like being told what to do. The asari removed her hand and was replaced by the turian. It felt odd, having a turian, humanity's sworn enemy, hold his head with such…confidence.

"Spectres bear a great burden. They are protectors of galactic peace, both our first and last line of defense. The safety of the galaxy is theirs to uphold. You, Commander John Shepard, have proven yourself willing to bear this burden," the turian's voice was oddly strong. "Will you, Commander John Shepard, continue to bear the weight of being the protector of the galactic peace, to be the first and last line of defense and to uphold the safety of the galaxy?"

"I will," Shepard, answered again, hopefully for the last time. He didn't like kneeling for too long. The turian removed his hand. This time the asari spoke, loud and full authority.

"Rise in front of all who bear witness here today. When you knelt, you were Commander John Shepard, a soldier of the Human Alliance. When you stand, you will be John Shepard, Spectre of the Citadel and the Council Races. Now rise, John Shepard. Rise, Spectre."

Shepard stood up slowly. To all who stood there, he seemed taller, stronger and more confident than when he knelt. None knew if this was a trick the Citadel played on their minds, or if there was some sort of magic. What they did know was that John Shepard had changed tremendously from the moment he went down on one knee, to the moment he stood on both feet.

"You are the first human Spectre, Commander," the asari smiled at him. "This is a great accomplishment for you and your entire species." Shepard smiled back at them all. And bowed slightly.

"I'm honored," he told them. He then heard the applause of Saren.

"Bravo, councilors, bravo," he said, his voice betraying his anger. "You finally brought a wretched human into the Spectres. And now, you will have him come after me, will you? As proof that you are not afraid of me? Then you are either brave or stupid, or both. Because it does not matter if you send all of the Spectres against me, I will kill them all and then kill you all as well."

Shepard turned around and headed back towards the podium, not bothering to listen. He had already heard it all.

"So what will you do now, Shepard? Will you attempt to kill me and become a puppet to the Council? A man who will continue to spread the continuing corruption that spreads throughout the galaxy?" Saren asked.

Shepard stopped when he reached the podium. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his box of cigarettes. Putting one into his mouth, he returned the box back into his pocket and pulled out his lighter. Puffing silently, he lit the cigarette and replaced the lighter into his pocket. He drew a deep breath and blew out a large cloud of smoke. He then turned towards the hologram and Saren saw something in his eyes.

Determination.

Shepard smirked.

"I'm going to kill you because I don't like you," Shepard told him, meaning every word of it. "So run and hide. I'll find you soon."

Saren glared back at the human.

"Good luck," Saren told him and the hologram faded away, leaving the room in a stunned silence. Shepard breathed in the cigarette smoke and blew it out.

"See you then," Shepard whispered.

* * *

Okay, so I lied when I said that this one would be an extra. Sue me. But don't.

I have to say I think this is the most intense chapter I've ever written. I really enjoyed writing the speeches by Saren and Shepard and was surprised by how easy it was to write. It just kind of rolled out of me.

I couldn't help but think about terrorism in the world today when I wrote this because it does bear a lot similarities. Not literally but…you know what I mean. And the obvious connection between Shepard and America is almost impossible to miss. I didn't want it to be like that, but it did. So I want to say here and now that just because Americans were targeted, doesn't mean the whole world doesn't feel it. Any act of terrorism is an attack on the human race in my opinion. It's an attack on our morals and our values as human beings. But that's me getting preachy.

I know I gave the Spectre initiation a little more religious feel to it, but you have to admit, when religion is involved, it gets more powerful than before, even if that religion is scientology.

Whatever, this is just a FanFic, you aren't really supposed to get any deep meanings from it. Any deep meanings you get are entirely coincidental. Should probably put that up with the disclaimer.

So, Shepard is a Spectre and the hunt for Saren begins.


	17. Chapter 13: Into the Storm

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«1.08: The Citadel: The Presidium: Avina Terminal»

«or Into the Storm»

Ashley, Garrus and Wrex waited impatiently for the elevator to reach the ground floor. Ashley was mostly uncomfortable because she was on an elevator with two other armed aliens, one of them a turian. It…unnerved her, slightly. But she didn't let this get in her way. She had a job to do.

When the elevator opened up, the team ran forward, guns raised towards their eyes. Ashley could easily see where the culprit had gone to work to relay the signal into the Council Chambers. She could also see the keeper who had been working on the monitor before him. Dead from a bullet wound to it's head. A small crowd had begun to gather around it.

"Stand away!" Ashley ordered and the crowd dispersed. Whether it was for her ferocity, the guns or the krogan, she didn't care. She didn't want them to get close enough to contaminate the evidence.

They approached the monitor and Garrus examined it.

"Whoever it was, he was in a rush," Garrus said. "He left behind all his equipment. This is Grade-A stuff. A signal receiver, a signal camouflage and disrupter. Most of these things are illegal."

"So it was definitely from here?" Ashley asked.

"Yup," Garrus nodded. He looked over towards the Avina Terminal. "Avina!"

For a moment, there was no answer. Then Avina's pink asari form appeared in front of him. It continued to flicker and expand while she spoke.

"Apologies," Avina's monotone voice spoke. "The Avina system has been infected by a small virus implanted into that monitor. I am currently attempting to isolate and terminate it."

"Do you know who did it?" Garrus asked the Virtual Intelligence program.

"I apologize, but I was unable to discern his identity, only that he is a member of the Alliance military," Avina told them. "My systems should be up and running in a little while. It was not implanted directly but sent through a signal. As such, the virus should be eliminated soon."

"Do you know which way he went?" Ashley asked.

"Apologies," Avina said again. "After he launched the virus, I focused my main attention on destroying it. I did not see which way he went."

Ashley angrily stomped on a nearby railing, cursing to herself. Wrex sighed and holstered his weapon.

"Damn," Wrex said. "I was hoping I would get to kill someone today." Ashley sighed.

"This isn't good," Ashley stated. "If Avina's right, then the Alliance has been compromised. Saren's planted a mole in our ranks." Garrus sighed as he sympathized with Ashley. Wrex only smiled.

"That just means things are going to get more interesting," Wrex stated. Ashley scoffed.

"Or more complicated," Ashley said.

"The two go hand in hand sometimes," Wrex replied. Ashley reluctantly nodded. Things were going to get complicated.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Major Ellison stood behind the corner, using a mirror to spy on the group. A turian and a krogan. What were the odds? Definitely from Commander Shepard's crew, it was the only explanation. He recognized the turian as Garrus from C-Sec and the krogan as Wrex. What were the odds? It seemed to him that Commander Shepard's team and Saren's team had more in common than they realize.

The proof to the major was right in front of him: Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams. Ellison recognized the Chief; he was her drill instructor for a while, before he decided to go back into active duty. He remembered her harsh and commanding attitude. He also remembered the look on her face when she caught him doing…the memory still brought a gleeful smile on his face. Just the look on her face! Priceless! Ellison hoped that he would see it again.

But there was another reason why he was smiling: the battle between Saren and Shepard. It wasn't a _real_ battle of course, but it was a duel nonetheless. But who had won? It was hard to say. On the one hand, Shepard became the first human Spectre, which was an obvious win for the Alliance and by extension, the Council. But on the other hand, Saren had succeeded in declaring war on the Council and instilling a great amount of fear in the Citadel. Still, the outcome would not be seen until much later.

That was the way with history, in Ellison's mind. People couldn't predict the outcomes or the effects of events until much later. Unless the event was large enough and striking enough, then the effect is obvious. Before he joined with Saren, Ellison would often dream of committing such an event. Now, with Saren, he knew he would.

It wasn't easy getting Saren to let him join, what for his hatred of humans and all that. But, with time, Saren let him into his group. Not because he liked him, not at all. Saren despised him and often made threats to him. But without Ellison, Saren wouldn't be able to know what the Alliance was doing and to an extension, what Shepard was going to do. Ellison had proved himself valuable and considered necessary, even if Saren didn't like it. Saren couldn't let the Alliance interfere with his plans. Not yet, even if he did reveal himself to the Council. It didn't matter now that the universe knew he was a traitor, just so long as they didn't interfere with his plans.

Ellison thought back to the duel between Saren and Shepard. He had overheard the conversation but it was nothing short of amazing! The cunning, the power behind their beliefs, their…anger and hatred of each other!

Ellison gripped his sides, trying hard to contain his glee and laughter. He could hardly stop himself from letting a small giggle out here and there. Eyes wide, he covered his mouth to stop the hilarity from spilling out. War changed all things. And this coming war would change the universe in such a way, that they people would still be talking about it for…perhaps the rest of the universe's life.

Who wouldn't be excited?

\::/::\::/::\::/

Later, after the council adjourned, the three councilors sat in their private chambers. There were three comfortable chairs that circled the center of the room. It was peaceful and quiet, a brief respite from the troubles of the universe. But it didn't offer peace to some.

"I can't believe that Saren, our most trusted Spectre, would turn on us!" the turian councilor paced back and forth, still reeling from what had just transpired. The asari councilor sat with one leg crossed over her other leg, leaning back and head resting against the back of the large, couch-like chair. The salarian councilor stood observing the Citadel through the nearby window. "It's just…impossible!"

"I didn't want to believe it either, Parladon," the asari councilor told him. "But we were shown the proof. We heard what Saren told…Matriarch Benezia." She still couldn't believe that Benezia would side with Saren.

"He was our best Spectre! How could he betray the Council like that?" Parladon vented his anger.

"We trusted too much in the Spectres," the salarian councilor spoke up. "We believed them 'incorruptible.' We thought they were all pure. We were wrong." He turned from the window and took his seat to the asari's right. "Now, we are feeling the consequences."

"We shouldn't judge ourselves too harshly, Quinilla," the asari comforted the salarian. "We made a mistake. We thought we could trust someone who turned out to be untrustworthy. We made a mistake."

"But we are not supposed to!" Parladon nearly shouted. "We are the Council of the Citadel! We represent millions of individuals! We are supposed to always do the right thing for the benefit of Citadel Space; even the choice for who becomes a Spectre must be made carefully! If we are shown to make mistakes, people will lose faith in us!"

"Are you more upset about making a mistake, or that Saren betrayed us," the asari councilor pointed out. Parladon stood in place for a moment. He then took the empty seat and collapsed into it.

"Both, I guess," Parladon admitted.

"We made a mistake," the asari councilor told him. "And now, we must move on. We cannot dwell on it. The people of Citadel Space won't allow us to rest."

"I know that, Sharla," Parladon told her. "I…I guess I didn't expect it of Saren. The humans, maybe, but not Saren." They sat in silence, thinking about what transpired.

"There are so many questions," Quinilla spoke up. "Who is the rogue agent within the Alliance? Who else is working for Saren? So many questions to which we have no answers."

"I guess now, we only have to trust in Shepard to find out the truth," Sharla said. Parladon scoffed.

"I still can't believe that we made Shepard a Spectre. Did you hear what he said to me?" Parladon said. Sharla covered her smile with her hand while Quinilla looked at something on the wall. Seeing their reactions, Parladon threw his hands in the air and folded his arms, shaking his head disbelievingly. "I can't believe you two."

"You have to admit, Parladon, it was kind of funny in hindsight," Sharla chuckled.

"That man has no respect for authority!" Parladon told them. "Telling us that he doesn't, what was the phrase 'give a flying…something?'"

"He told _you_ that, Parladon," Quinilla pointed out. "Not _us_, _you_."

"You're not helping," Parladon muttered. "All I'm saying, that man has no respect for us or for this establishment and we go and make him a Spectre! How can we put up with him! If it were any other race, we would have placed an embargo their trade! Maybe Saren was right on one thing; we do give them special favors."

"I don't think that he doesn't have respect for us," Sharla said. "I think that he was just frustrated by the politics of it and when he feels frustrated, he lashes out at others. A human colony was attacked and we were protecting the man responsible. Who else wouldn't have felt irritated by it?"

"But they didn't have proof of his accusations," Parladon told her. "Just words. Not until now, that is."

"Plus, did you hear all that talk of Reapers?" Quinilla asked. "How could we believe him?"

"He seemed pretty certain of himself," Sharla commented.

"But we officially cannot believe him without proof and all we have is the word of Saren, who we have just learned cannot be trusted anyways," Quinilla told them. "Are you saying you believe him?" Sharla thought for a moment, and sighed.

"I cannot, officially, believe his words," Sharla said quietly. Quinilla nodded and leaned back. Parladon shook his head.

"I just can't believe we made him a Spectre," Parladon said.

"Parladon, there was no one else," Sharla told him. "All the other Spectres are on missions too vital to be called back on. Shepard would have gone on his own anyways, you saw the look in his eyes. This way, we can assert some control over his actions."

"I know, Sharla," Parladon said. "I don't have to like it, though."

"Some choices we make we rarely like," Quinilla pointed out. They all sat in silence for a moment.

"Tell _me_ he doesn't give a…," Parladon muttered to himself. Sharla smiled.

"I seem to remember a young Ambassador Parladon telling me that I am a disgrace to all asari," Sharla told him. Parladon groaned, remembering the incident all too well.

"Don't bring that up again, please. I was young and frustrated and…" Parladon caught the irony after he spoke and rubbed his forehead despairingly while Sharla and Quinilla laughed.

A knock came at the door and a young asari poked her head in.

"You have five minutes, councilors," she said before closing the door. The three councilors sighed slightly, stood up and made their way out the door.

They walked of the room to perform their duties. More choices were to be made and the universe wasn't going to wait on them.

\::/::\::/::\::/

"A Spectre?" Ashley exclaimed. "I'm gone for five minutes and they make you a Spectre?" Shepard sighed as Ashley nearly shouted in his ear, walking slowly while being followed by his team. He had hoped she wouldn't make a scene, but he didn't believe it wholeheartedly. He didn't believe it himself. He was the first human Spectre and yet, he didn't feel any different. It felt the same as getting a year older.

Shepard looked over at Ashley as she continued her tirade of…whatever she was talking about. He stopped listening after she started talking about how excited she was and other things. Shepard smiled as warm memories were brought back from…wherever.

"What are you smiling at?" Ashley asked him. Shepard shook his head, keeping his silence. Ashley looked at him for a moment and looked around at the C-Sec Academy. "Are we heading back towards the Docking Bay?"

"Yup," Shepard replied. "The Ambassador said that he has a ship and crew ready for us. He went to set it all up with the Captain after the…incident."

"Didn't even thank you," Wrex muttered.

"Yeah, I thought he'd be more grateful," Garrus said.

"He's an ass," Shepard said. "But he's got a lot on his mind. And I haven't even done anything yet, so he can't really thank me yet."

"Haven't done anything?" Tali said incredulously. "You just exposed a rogue Spectre, and not only that, you pissed him off in front of everyone!"

"Like I said," Shepard said. "He's an ass."

They entered the elevator and rode it all the way up towards the top. Shepard glanced back and noticed Kaidan lost in his own thoughts.

"Penny for your thoughts, Lieutenant?" Shepard asked. Kaidan started and looked up.

"I'm sorry, sir," Kaidan apologized. "I just have a lot on my mind, that's all."

"About the turian? Tuvok?" Shepard asked. Kaidan didn't answer, so Shepard shrugged. "You don't want to talk about it, do you?"

"Begging your pardon, sir, but no, I don't," Kaidan told him.

"Do you think it's important?" Shepard asked.

"No, sir, I don't," Kaidan said. Shepard looked back and made eye contact with him. Kaidan began to have a strange feeling that Shepard was looking…_into_ him. It was peculiar.

"When it becomes important, you come talk to me, alright?" Shepard told him. Kaidan regarded him for a moment, and then nodded.

"Aye aye, sir," Kaidan said. Shepard nodded and faced forward.

"So, Lieutenant," Wrex began. "Who'd win in a fight between you and Shepard?" Kaidan shot a look at Wrex, his eyes widening.

"What?" Kaidan exclaimed. "Commander Shepard is my superior officer, I can't imagine us _ever_ having to fight!"

"You can't?" Wrex asked. "_That's_ why Shepard's your superior officer and _that's_ why Shepard would win."

"Do krogans size up _everyone_ for a fight?" Tali asked. "Even friends and allies?"

"Yes," Wrex said matter-of-factly.

"So who would win in a fight, you or Shepard?" Garrus asked him. Wrex looked thoughtful for a moment.

"That's tough to say," Wrex said. "Shepard is a very skilled warrior, but I'm a skilled krogan. I'd have to say we are evenly matched. Though I would like to see for myself."

"I wouldn't mind, Wrex," Shepard said. "But later, perhaps when this is all over."

"I'll hold you to it," Wrex said and Shepard smiled.

The elevator door opened and the group walked out onto the Docking Platform. Shepard spotted Udina and Anderson immediately. He also noted that there were no other vessels nearby.

"You guys get on board and relax," Shepard told his team. He heard them acknowledge and walked towards the Ambassador and the Captain. After the team disappeared onto the Normandy, Udina spoke up.

"I've got big news for you, Shepard," Udina said. "Captain Anderson is stepping down as Commanding Officer of the Normandy. The ship is yours now." While Udina was speaking, Shepard locked his eyes with Anderson who folded his arms, almost uncomfortably.

"She's quick and quiet and you know the crew," Anderson said. "A perfect ship for a Spectre. Treat her well, commander." Shepard didn't say anything for a moment.

"I want the truth," Shepard finally said. "Why are you stepping down, sir?"

"You needed your own ship," Anderson answered. "A Spectre can't answer to anyone but the Council. And it's time for me to step down." Shepard looked at him for a moment. Then nodded in assent, though he wanted to talk to him more. About something else.

"Saren's gone. Don't even try to find him," Anderson said. "But we know what he's after: the Conduit. He's got his geth scouring the Traverse looking for clues."

"We've had reports of geth in the Feros system shortly before our colony there dropped out of contact and there have been sightings around Noveria," Udina told him.

"Find out what Saren was after on Feros and Noveria," Anderson said. "Maybe you can find the Conduit before he does." Shepard sighed.

"The Reapers are the real threat," Shepard closed his eyes.

_War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death-_

Shepard opened them again.

"I'm with the Council on this one, Shepard," Udina told him. "I'm not sure they even exist." Shepard glanced over at him, giving a certain look that said 'I don't care what you think.'

"But if they do exist," Anderson said. "The Conduit's the key to bringing them back. Stop Saren from getting the Conduit and we stop the Reapers from returning."

"I promised him my knife would be going in his eye," Shepard said. "I intend to keep that promise." Anderson nodded while Shepard hid his enthusiastic smile.

"We have one for lead," Udina said. "Matriarch Benezia, the other voice in that recording. She has a daughter, a scientist who specializes in the Protheans. We don't know if she's involved but it might be a good idea to try and find her. See what she knows. Her name is Liara. Dr. Liara T'Soni. We have reports she was exploring an archaeological dig on one of the uncharted worlds of the Artemis Tau Cluster."

"Looks like I should start there," Shepard said.

"It's your decision, Commander," Anderson said. "You're a Spectre now. You don't answer to us."

"But your actions still reflect humanity as a whole!" Udina told him sternly. "You make a mess and I get stuck cleaning it up."

"Wouldn't want to make your job too difficult now would we, Ambassador?" Shepard joked, then raised his hands defensively. "Relax. I'll try not to make things any harder on you."

"Glad to hear it. Remember, you were a human long before you were a Spectre," Udina told him. "I have a meeting to get to. Captain Anderson can answer any questions you might have." With that he left, leaving Anderson and Shepard to themselves. Shepard looked at him for a moment.

"I need to speak with you. In private," Shepard said.

"I thought you might," Anderson said.

"Let's go to your quarters," Shepard suggested.

"_Your_ quarters now," Anderson reminded him. Shepard sniffed and they walked onto the Normandy. They passed by a number of people, all of them gave their farewells to Anderson while Shepard stood by and watched. They finally made it to the Commanding Officer's Quarters and they took a seat.

"There's a bottle of bourbon underneath the counter," Anderson pointed to the counter. Shepard reached under and found it.

"This isn't bad," Shepard remarked before pouring them both a glass. They clinked their glasses together before downing their shots in a gulp.

"How're you holding up?" Shepard asked.

"Honestly," Anderson said. "This isn't how I pictured my career coming to an end. Pushing papers really isn't my thing. But you're the one who can stop Saren. I believe in you Shepard. If that means I have to step aside, so be it." Shepard smiled.

"No pressure," Shepard said. Anderson chuckled.

"None at all," Anderson said. Shepard's smile faded slowly as he brought himself to the main point of the discussion.

"How do you and Saren know each other?" Shepard finally asked. Anderson looked at his glass for a moment.

"About 20 years ago," Anderson began quietly. "I was part of a mission in the Skyllian Verge. I was working with Saren to find and remove a known terrorist threat. Saren eliminated his target but a lot of people died along the way. Innocent people. And the official records just…covered it all up. But I saw how he operates. No conscience. No hesitation. He'd kill a thousand civilians without a second thought."

Shepard remained silent. Anderson was avoiding the main issue.

"I know how the world works," Anderson said. "Sometimes you're forced to make unpleasant decisions. But only if there's no other way. Saren doesn't even look for another option. He's twisted, broken. He likes the violence, the killing. And he knows how to cover his tracks."

"And keep you out of the Spectres," Shepard said, a little too coldly then he wanted to. If Anderson took offence, he didn't show it.

"Yeah, that too," Anderson admitted. "I was in your shoes 20 years ago. Ambassador Goyle was our representative then and she volunteered me for the Spectres, like Udina with you. The Council sent Saren to keep an eye on me and to evaluate me, like Nihlus with you."

"You're not proud of this," Shepard surmised.

"No, I'm not," Anderson told him. He wasn't surprised by Shepard's powers of observation. "I had a chance to be the first human Spectre and I failed. Saren made sure of that."

"How?" Shepard asked. "I need details." Anderson sighed. Shepard deserved the whole truth and he was dancing around the point.

"We had Intel on a rogue scientist being funded by batarian interests," Anderson began his story again. "He was trying to set up a facility to make illegal AI technology out in the Verge. Alliance Intel had done all the work, but the Council wanted a Spectre involved. They compromised and I was assigned to help Saren in his investigation. We tracked the scientist to a refining facility on Camala. He was hidden away inside guarded by an army of batarian mercenaries. The plan was simple: sneak into the plant, capture the scientist, sneak back out. Quick, quiet and a _minimum_ of bloodshed.

"Saren did something, then," Shepard guessed.

"Saren and I split up to cover more ground," Anderson continued. "Then about halfway through the mission, there was a massive explosion in the refinery core. Officially it was ruled an accident but I think Saren detonated it on purpose to draw off the enemy guards."

"What was the damage?" Shepard asked.

"The explosion tore the refinery to shreds," Anderson answered. "The whole place was on fire. Black chemical clouds poured out into the atmosphere. Nobody inside survived. There was a camp for the workers and their families nearby. Between the fires and toxic fumes, the final death count was over 500. Mostly civilians. Saren didn't care. The target was eliminated. Mission accomplished. And I ended up taking the blame. That ended all talk of me joining the Spectres."

"How'd he pin it on you?" Shepard asked.

"In his report," Anderson told him. "Saren accused me of blowing his cover. He said it was my fault the guards were ready for us. He claimed that's why it turned into a massacre. Saren's report was all the proof the Council needed to kill my chances of becoming a Spectre."

"They did it again," Shepard scoffed. "They trusted their best agent over us."

"Yes," Anderson said. "When the Council ignored us, I couldn't help but think back to then. It was classic. The same scenario, the same outcome. But it's no good living in the past. We have to move forward. You have to stop him." Anderson stood up and looked at him straight in the eye.

"I will," Shepard said. Anderson seemed…relieved by this. Maybe a burden was lifted from him. It now belonged to Shepard.

"I should get going, Commander," Anderson said.

Shepard nodded and escorted him back to the door leading to the Docking Bay. Everyone watched as Shepard, the new Commanding Officer escorted Anderson, their former Captain out of his ship. Anderson stood tall and proud even as he walked along with Shepard. Everyone regarded the two with sad eyes. This wasn't right. All of them thought that. Shepard couldn't help but agree with them. At the door, Shepard impulsively held out his hand, never breaking eye contact with the Captain.

"It was an honor, sir," Shepard said. Anderson regarded the hand and took it, gripping it tightly.

"The honor was mine," Anderson replied.

They released hands and Shepard saluted sharply. Anderson returned the gesture. They looked at each other for a moment, and then Anderson turned sharply and stepped off the Normandy. Shepard watched him walk away as the door closed.

Anderson never looked back.

Shepard put down his hand and continued to stare at the door, still trying to think of what happened.

"Captain Anderson survives a hundred battles and then gets taken down by backroom politics," Joker spoke up. Shepard looked at him. "Just watch your back, Commander. If things go bad on this mission, you're next on their chopping block."

Shepard approached him and looked out the window. He could see the Captain enter the elevator and leave. He sighed.

"There was nothing you could have done, Commander," Joker assured him. "Sure, the Captain got screwed, but there was nothing you could have done. No one here is blaming you. The entire crew is behind you, a hundred percent. The intercom's open. You want to say a few words?"

Shepard regarded the intercom for a moment, breathed and pressed the button.

"This is Commander Shepard speaking," Shepard spoke from his heart, bringing the crew to attention. "We have our orders. Find Saren and bring him to justice. He's a rogue agent on the run and he will not go down without a fight. But neither shall we!"

Tali looked up from her belongings to listen to the proud voice on the intercom and she knew, she made the right decision when she decided to join Shepard.

"We will not go down without a fight, not because I say so, or because the Council says so, but because we say so! Humanity says so! Every individual in the galaxy says so! They have spoken and we have answered! They want us to prove that we can fight for them all and we shall prove that very thing! We shall prove that humanity is not just another race they can disregard as just another backwater race who need to be taught a lesson! We shall prove that we won't go down without a fight!"

Kaidan was receiving medicine for his headache from Dr. Chakwas, but now listened to his Commanding Officer's booming voice. Dr. Chakwas smiled as she listened as well.

"Saren attacked one of our colonies, destroyed one of our planets, but that does not mean that this is a grudge against our race alone! He has declared war on all species, on all races and he will not stop until we are all wiped off the face of the galaxy! So we shall not stop until he and his geth army are wiped away from this galaxy!"

The crew paid full attention, not because it was their Commanding Officer speaking, but because they wanted to hear this. They wanted to know what they were up against and Shepard was telling them just that.

"Saren is waiting for us! I say we don't let him wait any longer! I say we let him know just how strong we are! I say we let him know just how powerful we are! And before this is over, he will make him wish he hadn't attacked Eden Prime!"

Ashley smiled as she stood beside Wrex, who leaned against the wall and Garrus, who listened intently. She smiled because he could here the finality in his voice. He was stating these things as facts and the truth.

"So, we shall find Saren and put an end to his mad plans! We shall find him and stop him once and for all! And in doing so, we will prove to the entire galaxy that we are not a force to be taken lightly! Like a storm, we will destroy everything in our path, be it geth or any of Saren's followers! We will stop him!"

Shepard released the button and breathed again, out of breath.

"Well said, Commander," Joker said. "Captain would be proud."

"The Captain's not here now, Joker," Shepard told him. "He gave up everything so I could have this chance. We can't fail! I won't fail!"

He turned sharply and walked briskly away.

"Yes sir!" Joker called out, full of energy.

As Shepard walked, he felt an old energy return to him. It was power; the power and drive to destroy whatever crossed his path. His eyes burned with the fury of this power as he decided where to go. His eyes continued to burn as the Normandy left the Citadel and made their way to the Artemis Tau Cluster.

* * *

Finally! It seemed like 16 chapters ago that I started this and I'm only here! This is going to be one long story. But I enjoy it so that's good. If I got paid for it, that'd be even better.

The title is a song by Blind Guardian on their album Nightfall in Middle-Earth. It's about the Silmarillion, one of J.R.R. Tolkien's more epic works besides the Lord of the Rings. The song in particular is about how Morgoth is chased by the demon spider; Ungoliant after Morgoth refuses to hand over the Silmarils after he promised to give Ungoliant whatever she desired. One line in particular is referring to this chapter.

"We are following the will of the one, threw the Dark Age and into the storm."

Just FYI. Now, we're off to the Artemis Tau Cluster to find a certain asari doctor.


	18. Extra: Seeds

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«Extra: The Citadel: Presidium: Executive Housing»

«or Seeds»

Captain Anderson hesitantly walked up towards the apartment door, glancing at the number for a moment. 1408. It was the right number. Anderson took a deep breath and reached for the doorbell. His hand froze for a moment, his thoughts a jumble as he determined his next move. He forced himself to press the button, bringing a loud and clear jingle that was still unfamiliar to Captain. He would have welcomed the sound of normal doorbells with its familiarity with the sound that antique clocks made, but then again, he didn't have a say for how the Citadel operated.

He waited for a moment before a woman opened the door, peering outside. She was an aged woman with slightly graying hair and wrinkles beginning to show themselves, but to Anderson, she was still as beautiful as ever.

"David!" the woman exclaimed excitedly. "This is a welcome surprise!"

"Ambassador Goyle," Anderson addressed, smiling pleasantly.

"Please, David," the former Ambassador Anita Goyle scolded, slightly pouting her lips. "I'm not the ambassador anymore."

"But you were ma'am," Anderson told her, still smiling at her. Goyle shook her head slightly. "I only came here to say hello, so I won't take up your time if you are busy."

"Nonsense!" Goyle exclaimed. "Please, come in! Come in!" Anderson smiled at her and walked inside. The room was quiet and small, with a living room with a few chairs and a couch, a small kitchen and a balcony that overlooked the Wards. There was also a hallway that led to her…living quarters. All in all, it reminded Anderson of some of regular apartment buildings from Earth.

Strange how similar alien things can be.

"Do you want a drink?" Goyle asked him.

"No, thank you," Anderson replied. It dawned on him that he didn't really know why he was in her apartment in the first place. This wasn't proper.

"So," Goyle walked into the living area, taking a chair. She gestured the Captain to sit as well. "What did you come here to see me about?"

Anderson took a chair and sat there for a moment.

"I came to check up on you and to see how you were. I haven't seen you for awhile," Anderson told her, leaning back in his chair.

"I'm doing alright," Goyle told him. "The work is easy and light and I don't have people breathing down my neck about 'when is this coming in' or 'where is that thing you were supposed to do.'" Anderson nodded.

"Well, looks like I got a lot to look forwards to," Anderson remarked.

"I heard about that," Goyle said, leaning forward slightly. "I'm so sorry that happened to you." Anderson brushed her off.

"Don't be," Anderson told her. "I let it happen. It was the only way for Shepard to get a good ship and crew."

"Ah, yes," Goyle told him. "Shepard, the first human Spectre. You know, I saw him in person once. Yes, I believe it was after the Rogue L2 Incident after Shepard returned to active duty. Only briefly, but I left an impression. He was walking down the walkway and I was walking past him, going in the other direction. I looked into his eyes…and it was like he didn't even see me. It was like I didn't even register in his vision. It was then that I knew…that this man was going to do great things."

"A man who doesn't see others around him?" Anderson scoffed. "I think that'd be dangerous."

"Yes, a man who doesn't see the other people around him is dangerous," Goyle agreed with him. "I thought so myself when I first saw him. But as I thought about it, the perfect soldier is someone who is able to focus on his mission and not be distracted by anything else. Shepard seems to have perfected this down to an art. The only problem is that he doesn't seem to know how to turn it off when he's _off_ a mission."

"That or he doesn't care much for turning it off," Anderson said. Goyle looked at him quizzically, smiling.

"Captain David Anderson, are you saying that you don't trust the good Commander John Shepard?" Goyle asked playfully.

Anderson thought about this for a moment. Did he not trust Shepard? No, of course not, he would trust him with the Captain's own life. Then why this much…hostility towards him?

"I guess," David tried to reason this out, talking mostly to himself. "I guess I want Shepard to do a good job. I want him to succeed where I failed…but given how he is, I have doubts that he will be able to accomplish it. I guess I'm afraid that he will need my help and I won't be there. That someone in the universe will need my help and I won't be there to help them. It makes me feel…helpless. Makes me feel impotent."

Anita looked at him for a moment, thinking over what she just heard from David. She thought for a moment, and then smiled at him.

"Would you come with me for a moment?" Anita asked him. She got up and walked towards the balcony. David looked at her for a moment, and then followed her. David looked around and saw a row of flowers in a long pot of dirt. Some of the flowers he was familiar with: tulips, roses, and daisies. Others were completely alien to him. Some didn't even look like flowers to him, but more like large vegetables. The only way he knew they were flowers was because they were next to the tulips or the roses.

"Do you see these?" Anita asked, crouching down to the ground and motioning towards some of the flowers. "They need special attention. They need lots of water, good light, and fresh dirt and stuff like that. They need to be in a good environment in order to grow and when they do, they are really some of the greatest and most beautiful flowers of all.

"But do you see these flowers?" Anita pointed to another flower that looked like a mix between a Venus flytrap and an asparagus. "This is the asari _caracarn_, a tulip, if you will. The _caracarn_ is special and in my opinion, the most beautiful flower in the entire universe. Do you know why?" David shook his head.

"Because they don't require attention," Anita answered. "All you need to do is plant them in the ground. You don't need to water them, they don't need sunlight and you don't need to watch after them. They just grow. No matter what environment they're in, they will still grow. The asari believe that they are special and represent the embodiment of a person's home. The asari often have them in the middle of their living rooms so when a visitor enters their home, they know they are entering a good home."

David thought about this. He looked at Anita for a long while, while Anita smiled back at him. David smiled in return.

"So," David said. "What you're saying is that I have done everything that I can do for Shepard. Now, it is up to him how he grows and how he accomplishes the task set out before him."

"And though you may feel powerless, you have to realize now that some people don't need to be looked after. They just need to be guided. They can do the rest," Anita finished for him, still smiling. David's smile broadened at this. Anita glanced down at her garden and picked up a bag. She held it up to the Captain, who examined it. It was a bag of seeds.

"However, some flowers _do_ need to be looked after and it is _these_ flowers who you should be looking after," Anita told him. David held out his hand and Anita placed the bag in his hand, closing his fingers around it with both of her own hands still smiling at him. David couldn't help but laugh slightly. Her joy was infectious.

"Now come on," Anita exclaimed. "Let me get you a beer!" She bolted upright and softly placed a kiss on David's cheek and walked back towards the kitchen. David touched the spot on his cheek where her lips touched his skin. It was pretty close to his own lips, but that was another worry for another time. He walked back into the apartment and grabbed the bottle that Anita tossed towards him.

"I'm sorry," David finally got out of him.

"For what?" Anita asked.

"For making you lose your job. If I succeeded and not let Saren get to me-!"

"You stop that thought right now, or I will no longer respect you!" The former ambassador warned him. "I don't blame you for what happened. What happened, happened. So don't blame yourself, do you understand? So you don't have to apologize."

David slowly nodded and smiled.

"I'm not even drinking yet and I already feel sorry for myself. How pathetic is that?" David asked jokingly.

"Not as pathetic as you apologizing. The great Captain David Anderson, apologizing to a retired ambassador. That's just pitiful!" Anita exclaimed.

They clinked their bottles together and each took a drink. After an undisclosed amount of time (time for them didn't seem to exist at all) and an undisclosed amount of beer bottles, they were laughing hysterically, enjoying each other's company and enjoying the sight from the balcony. The lights from the Ward Arms shone like a thousand fireflies dancing in the air. They loved every minute of it, not only because of the view but also because they were together.

David looked down at the bag of flower seeds still in his hands. He laughed.

"What is it?" Anita asked him, laughing.

"I don't even know how to tend a garden!" David exclaimed, still laughing. Anita laughed with him.

"You know what?" Anita asked him.

"What?" David asked back.

"Neither do I!" She exclaimed and they both laughed. Then they both leaned their heads forward so they touched and continued to enjoy each others company well until the next morning.

* * *

I haven't read Mass Effect: Revelation so I don't know what Goyle's character is like. This is just my interpretation of her so if you don't like it, tough.

I actually enjoyed this chapter, mainly because of how at ease they are. There isn't any violence, any swearing, just two friends (maybe more than friends) talking with each other.

I saw Watchmen the other day. I enjoyed it a great deal, but it really is a movie for the people who have read and enjoyed the comic book. I'm sorry…the "graphic novel." Then again, there were a lot of scenes that were purely the director coming in (the sex scene in particular, which is awkward when you're watching it with your family) but other than that, I really liked it. It has it faults but you could easily overlook them.

That said I have to say that the movie was kind of just going through the motions. There was no soul in it. It was like watching a stripper who is in the business for too long. At first they're nervous and full of pride so they get off with a rocky start. Then, they start getting into it and start to really enjoy it a lot so they're more energetic, but then they start losing their spirit and just go through the motions.

So all in all, Watchmen is a tremendously faithful adaption of the comic book (sorry, "Graphic Novel"), but it only does it because the comic does it. There is no soul involved and is sort of lifeless. Watch it if you're a fan of the comic book ("Graphic Novel") and you'll enjoy it. Watch it if you've never read the comic book ("Graphic Novel") in your life and you'll be completely lost as to what's going on and why there are blue nads flopping in your face. Still, you'll find _something_ you liked about it. I mean, this is from the director of 300 and we all know that was a great movie, though a grossly misinterpreted version of the 300 Spartans.

All in all, awesome if a bit dead.

Also saw Desperate Housewives for the first time. Why hasn't anyone told me about this show yet? It's freakin' brilliant! Granted, I may be watching it for the wrong reasons (MILFs constantly getting into catfights…LETS THROW SOME JELL-O ON THEM!) but still! The show is just enjoyable on so many levels! It's one of those "you can't help but like it."

Next chapter is when the crew reaches the Artemis Tau Cluster and we'll possibly see Liara.


	19. Chapter 14: Find Liara T'Soni

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«2.01: _SSV Normandy_: Command Deck: Combat Information Center»

«or Find Liara T'Soni»

Shepard examined the holographic representation of planet Therum the Galaxy Map showed him. Standing behind him was Ashley with her arms crossed but prepared to move on a moment's notice. This had to be it. There were four known systems in the Artemis Tau Cluster and out of those four, only planet Therum had any sign whatsoever of Prothean technology. Shepard didn't have the patience to search the other planets, so it made sense to start here.

This Dr. T'Soni had better be there or he would be very upset.

"Planet Therum, sir," Joker called over the communication line. "This planet is littered with Prothean ruins. If Dr. T'Soni _is_ a scientist of old Prothean junk, than this is probably the best place to look."

Shepard needed certainty, but he knew he wasn't going to get it.

"Pressly," Shepard called his XO standing across from him. "Tell me about the planet."

"Therum is one of the Alliance's rich, industrial world due to the high amount of heavy metals found on the planet," Pressly told him sharply. "Core samples rich with the fossils of simple silicon-based organisms indicate Therum was more habitable in the past than it is at present. As of now, it's surface is much more barren and rocky with areas where molten lava has broken through the surface. The colony was founded by the Alliance in 2167 with the capital of Nova Yekaterinburg. It takes around 6.4 Earth Years for Therum to complete one circuit around Knossos, has a radius of around 6,724 kilometers, has 28.3 hour days, has an atmospheric pressure of 0.68 atmosphere, has a surface temperature of around 59 °C, it's gravity is around 1.12 g's and has no satellites orbiting it."

Shepard wondered if Pressly would recite that entire speech again if he asked him to. It'd be funny but now wasn't the time for it.

"Where's the largest Prothean dig site?" Shepard asked. Pressly checked his readings.

"Around 50 kilometers due west of Outpost 7B, here," Pressly pressed a button and the area was highlighted in bright green on the holographic image of the planet.

"Closest possible landing site for the Mako?" Shepard asked.

"Around 3 miles south of it," Pressly replied. "Can't find anything closer, the entire area is covered in lava and mountains, sir."

"Good enough," Shepard said. He glanced over his shoulder. "Get the team ready, Williams. We leave in ten."

"Aye aye, sir," Ashley saluted sharply and quickly went towards the door to the lower quarters. Pressly seemed to give the slightest of shrugs. Shepard saw it.

"Something on your mind, Pressly?" Shepard asked. Pressly looked over at him for a moment. He then placed two fingers to his lips and drew a line across his mouth. Shepard recognized the gesture; they both used it when they were on Elysium during the Blitz. It meant he wanted to talk privately with him where no one else can hear them.

Shepard followed Pressly into the communication room and Pressly turned to Shepard.

"Shepard, I'm not really sure about having non-humans on our ship," Pressly admitted. "I'm just not entirely sure whether or no I trust them."

"We're all on the same team here, Pressly," Shepard told him. "Despite their backgrounds."

"Well that's what they said about Nihlus and look how that turned out," Pressly folded his arms. Shepard smiled and walked over to one of the chairs. Sitting down in it, he stretched out his legs and placed his hands behind his head.

"Nihlus didn't betray us," Shepard stated. "He was killed because he got in the way of Saren's plan. Now why don't you tell me what's really bothering you?" Pressly couldn't help but chuckle.

"You always could read people like a book," Pressly joked as he sat down across from Shepard. He sighed.

"I guess," Pressly started while he scratched the back of his neck. "Humanity has always handled its own problems. Saren attacked one of _our_ colonies. _We_ should be the ones to stop him. We don't need _their_ help." Shepard nodded.

"True, we probably _could_ take him down by ourselves," Shepard agreed. "And he _did_ attack _our _colony." An image of Jenkins began to form in his mind but he killed it before it formed completely.

"Then why are they here?" Pressly asked incredulously.

"Because it's not just our problem anymore," Shepard said sharply, leaning forward quickly. "Saren is a threat to _everyone_. _Everyone!_ Not just humans. The asari, the salarians, the quarians, the turians, even the krogan are at risk. Saren may have attacked one of the human's colony, but in doing so, he declared war on the entire galaxy."

Pressly stared at Shepard. He saw his eyes filled with the same fire as Elysium. Pressly knew that Shepard meant every word of it. Shepard stood up and walked towards the communications relay, mostly to keep himself busy.

"Truth be told, I trust everyone of them," Shepard said. "And I have to admit, I think I'm going to need their help on this one." Pressly stared at Shepard for a moment longer, then nodded.

"I guess so," Pressly admitted. "Maybe I'm just stuck in the old ways of thinking. But don't worry about it, Shepard, this won't be a problem." Pressly stood up sharply.

"Make sure it isn't," Shepard told him and Pressly nodded.

_\::/::\::/::\::/  
_

Garrus walked around the Mako, examining it. He had seen them before but not up close. Garrus consulted his Omni-Tool for information on it as he walked around it. The turian military had a vessel that served the same purpose as the Mako, but Garrus couldn't help but marvel at its ingenuity. The tires and how it easily clung to any surface especially surprised him. This allowed the Mako to almost scale a near vertical mountain with ease.

Too bad the specifications Garrus was reading told him that it the Mako, despite its power and ingenuity, handled extremely poorly when it came to its driving capabilities.

"Is it ready?" Ashley walked up to him, wearing her Phoenix armor.

"Just about," Garrus told her. "The battery is currently at 90 percent charged. It'll be another minute or so."

"Call me when it's ready," Ashley told him curtly and walked away, head held high. Garrus sighed. He couldn't understand why Ashley still didn't trust him, despite what they gone through together. He may never know.

"Don't let her get to you," Kaidan walked up behind him.

"I'm not," Garrus said. Kaidan shook his head.

"Yes, you are," Kaidan said. He glanced over at Ashley. "You read her file. You know she has never been in the fleet before, always working with the groundside garrison. She's never worked with turians or krogans or even quarians before. Give her time."

Garrus sighed and nodded. That's all he had to do, he guessed. Wait.

He heard the console next to the Mako ping.

"The Mako is fully charged," he announced.

"About damn time," Wrex grumbled. Soon enough, Shepard's team stood beside the Mako, prepped and ready to go at a moments notice. Tali looked at her Omni-Tool, making sure there was no faulty programming that would hinder her. Wrex cracked his neck. Ashley placed her assault rifle on her back as she walked towards the Mako. Kaidan took a migraine pill and breathed. Garrus looked through the scope on his sniper rifle, nodded and placed it back on his back.

Shepard entered the garage, wearing his red Colossus armor, tall and proud.

"Listen up," Shepard raised his voice. "We've arrived at planet Therum. Now, according to our information, Dr. Liara T'Soni will be on this planet, doing research on the Prothean Ruins. She is the daughter of Matriarch Benezia, the female voice on that recording Tali found. She may have information of Saren's whereabouts. If not, she'll have information on the Prothean. Maybe then we'll find out what the Conduit is."

"And if she proves hostile?" Wrex asked. Shepard thought.

"We need her alive," Shepard told him. "If she is a part of Saren's crew, we need to disarm her and interrogate her. Got it, krogan?"

"Whatever you say, human," Wrex shot back, smiling. Shepard nodded and glanced over at the Mako. He sighed.

How he hated it.

"Alright, looks like we need to use the Mako to get to the ruins," Shepard nodded towards the machine. "The Mako can seat 8 people, so we'll have 2 seats left over. Ashley, you'll be riding shotgun and helping me drive this thing. Garrus, you're my navigator. Wrex, you'll on the turret. Tali, you'll be checking on the Mako's hull integrity along with Kaidan. Everyone clear on what they'll be doing?"

Everyone voiced their agreement.

"Move out," Shepard ordered.

\::/::\::/::\::/

The geth drop ship descended from the sky and landed, sending a large cloud of dust and sand in all directions. From its underbelly, a large ramp opened and struck the ground with a thud. From the dark maw came a small horde of geth troopers, moving with movement that may have mistaken them for organic beings. They were not however. They didn't breathe, didn't eat, and didn't sleep. They didn't need to.

There were only three organic beings on board the drop ship. As the dust began to clear, these three dark shapes slowly emerged from the maw, and met the sunlight of planet Therum.

Tuvok Vyrnnus gazed at the landscape with his dull, blood red eyes. His trench coat swayed with the wind, covering the black turian armor he wore. The white skull-like facial marking on his face seemed to glow with a dead light in contrast to the shining sun. He looked up towards the blue sky. They weren't blue to him, though, more a shade of purple, the blue sky mixing with blood in his eyes. He blinked. Still purple. He sighed.

Urdnot Jarrod cracked his neck side-to-side and glared at the barren landscape. His guns shone brightly in the sunlight as he began to spin his torso, cracking his back. The scar on his chest throbbed slightly and had been for a while since they've arrived at this planet. It was the scar from when his son stuck a knife in his chest. He smiled at the thought. Who knows what the future may bring?

Dr. Saleon hunched over his datapad and Omni-Tool as he surveyed his surroundings, mumbling to himself as he did. He wore a white scientist uniform that still had splashes of color stained within them. Some blue, some orange and some red. It's been a while since he washed the thing, but he always found a reason to keep it on. There was always one more surgery to do.

"Goddamn planet," Jarrod grumbled. "Why the hell would Saren be interested here?"

"It is believed that Matriarch Benezia's daughter is on this planet," Tuvok answered him quietly.

"So we're supposed to come here to babysit some asari's brat?" Jarrod asked with growing hostility.

"No, Warlord Jarrod," Tuvok said calmly. "She is a scientist of the Protheans. The Matriarch and Spectre Saren believe she may help us in finding out where the Conduit is."

"Then why the hell is the salarian here?" Jarrod nearly yelled. Dr. Saleon continued to mumble as he studied his Omni-Tool some more.

"No reason, I just thought the good Dr. Saleon needed to get out for some fresh air," Tuvok told him. Jarrod's eyes widened in surprise.

"That's your reason! That's the reason why we've got to babysit this stick! Because you thought he needed some fresh air?" He shouted incredulously.

"He's been spending too much time indoors," Tuvok replied without emotion. "That and if Matriarch Benezia's daughter refuses to come, and we are pressed for time, I am to place her knowledge of the Protheans within his mind." Jarrod's jaw dropped in fury.

"Were you playing me, turian?" Jarrod asked dangerously.

"Good heavens, me play you? Of course not. I would _never_ play you," his voice was devoid of all emotions. Jarrod couldn't tell if the infuriating turian was lying or not. Jarrod sniffed.

"And why do we need a company of Scar's geth?" Jarrod asked after a moment.

"Major Harlan Ellison has managed to uncover that Commander Shepard is also on his way here," Tuvok told him. "The geth are here to slow him down while we take Matriarch Benezia's daughter with us."

"Shepard, huh?" Jarrod crossed his arms and smiled. "Can't wait to meet him."

"Yes, there is no doubt in my mind that we will meet him in the ruins," Tuvok said. "But we still need to prioritize our mission."

"I know that, turian," Jarrod growled.

"I believe that's him," came a hushed, husky voice that belonged to Dr. Saleon.

Tuvok and Jarrod looked at where Saleon was pointing and sure enough, the _SSV Normandy_ flew below the cloud layer. It was far away but they could just barely see it.

"We are running out of time, turian," Jarrod told him. Tuvok nodded and issued orders to the geth.

\::/::\::/::\::/

"Hang on!" Shepard shouted over the din. Everyone held on tightly to the hand railings attached to their seats. They were still strapped in tightly to their chairs, but none were taking any chances.

The _SSV Normandy_ flew through the air and opened the garage doors. As it did, Shepard punched on the gas and the three tires roared to life. The Mako shot forward from the garage and began to freefall.

"Williams!" Shepard shouted. Williams pulled a lever and four thrusters burst out fire, causing the Mako to slow down its descent.

The Mako soon crashed to the ground, with the tires connecting to the floor, propelling up dirt and rocks into the air. Shepard quickly grabbed the wheel and corrected which direction the machine was heading. He released the gas slightly and was soon driving it as if it were a car.

The interior was silent for a time.

"Sir, we're going to be doing that a lot, aren't we?" Garrus asked.

Shepard only nodded.

"Good," Wrex muttered.

"Commander I'm picking up strange readings," Joker's voice crackled over the comm. "_Really _strange, like off the damn charts. It looks like it's coming from an underground complex a few clicks away from the drop zone."

"Garrus, lock onto that signal," Shepard ordered.

"Got it, just follow this path. It should bring you right to the complex," Garrus pointed through the window the path he was talking about.

"Alright. Keep in eye out," Shepard told them.

They silently began to drive down the path. As they rounded the corner of a large mountain, they found themselves near a large volcanic lake. And felt a heavy vibration.

"What the hell?" Ashley muttered.

The heavy vibration came from the geth drop ship flying overhead. It flew right over their heads and continued on its course. It looked like a giant centipede without the legs and everyone saw the heavy weaponry it was carrying.

"Don't turn around, don't turn around," Shepard muttered to himself. "We're just happy travelers going on a picnic, no need to pay any attention to us, just keep flying right on your course and we don't have to fight."

The drop ship began to turn around.

Shepard threw up his hands in frustration.

"O lord, what have I done to have offendeth thee!" Shepard placed his hands back onto the wheel and shook his head. Ashley stared at Shepard. Seriously, she thought the more time she spent with him, the more surprising he got.

Two objects dropped from the hull of the ship, making dull thuds on the ground. These two objects began to "unravel" and formed two four-legged creatures.

"Geth Armature," Tali stated.

"Thank you, Tali, for your astounding knowledge," Shepard spoke.

"Commander, there's no need to-!" Tali protested.

"Girl, he doesn't mean it. Don't let it bother you," Ashley told her. She gazed at the two armatures and sighed.

"All I wanted to do was find the doctor and get off this rock and now the geth are here and I'm going to have to beat them all to a bloody pulp…" his voice trailed off as he sighed. Then his eyes widened and a smile bloomed on his face.

"Wrex, you get the one on the left. The one on the right is mine," Shepard said. The slammed on the gas and the Mako roared forward.

"Their left or my left?" Wrex asked.

"Yours," Shepard told him.

The two armatures began to open fire as Wrex fired the turret at the one on the left. The shield around the armature held the fire at bay for a while, but it slowly began to whittle down. Soon it was depleted and Wrex fired the cannon, blowing the armature sky high. It crumpled into a heap, parts of its legs missing.

Shepard continued to drive the Mako straight towards the last remaining armature. The Mako crashed into the armature and at that second, Shepard hit the brakes. The armature flew through the air and straight into the lake of molten lava. It didn't resurface.

Ashley gripped the sides of her seat tightly, mouth open slightly.

"Sir," Ashley said quietly. "Just a suggestion. If at all possible, could you tell us when you're going to do something like that? Next time?" Shepard didn't answer, but nodded.

"But you gotta admit that was fun!" Shepard smiled broadly.

Ashley thought that Shepard couldn't get any weirder at this point.

Garrus hoped they would do that again, but kept it to himself.

Kaidan wanted another tablet of his migraine medicine.

Tali thought that she had signed up with a possible madman.

Wrex couldn't have been happier.

* * *

Geez, I leave for spring break and I get people ask where I am! Okay, so only two people wondered where I was, but still!

Seriously, I apologize for not updating sooner. Really though, I thought I made it clear that this is just something I do for fun when I have time. But still, I feel bad.

Personally, I don't really like this chapter. There wasn't enough room for personal talking and stuff like that. It just plain exposition from one place to another. Still, I gots to right that so I can get to the juicy bits!

Part of the reason is that I got The Sims 2 for the Mac (took me forever to find it!) and have been addicted to it ever since. I may write a fanfic of my personal character! Here's what happened in a nutshell:

My _**male**_ character was abducted by aliens, raped, got pregnant and gave birth to a green monstrosity that I named Michael. AND HE WAS SO CUUUUUUUUUUUTE! I WANTED TO PINCH HIS CHEEKS AND JUST GO AWOOGAWOOGAWOOGA!

And then I learned a valuable lesson when I returned to my college the following week: on St. Patrick's Day, never listen to your friends. I'm pretty sure I had 10 shots in less than 10 minutes. I didn't feel to good the following morning.

So here it is. We're on Therum.

Oh, and before I forget, this is what I wanted to put at the above place:

"O lord, what have I done to have offendeth thee! I sweareth in thine holy name, the nun came on to _me!_"

If more than 10 people tell me that they want the above statement to replace what's already there, then I will.

Till next time.


	20. Chapter 15: The Descent

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«2.02: Artemis Tau: Knossos System: Therum: Mining Camp»

«or The Descent»

Shepard and his team crouched warily, breathing heavily. They had left the Mako behind when they couldn't move forward anymore. The landscape wouldn't allow it. They had had little trouble with the resistance before, with Wrex manning the turret and Shepard behind the wheel. But after they left it behind, they had to deal with the valley that appeared afterwards.

The valley was lined with snipers and rocket troopers, pining them down behind cover. With the help of Garrus and Ashley's sniping abilities, however, they were able to defeat the team. And now they slowly made their way towards the mining camp.

Shepard knew that his team was tired. Hell, _he_ was tired. But they still had to be careful. When people are tired was when the enemy was most likely to attack.

Shepard gazed warily at the gigantic mining complex. There was a large building of some kind towards one side of the makeshift path they followed. He guessed it served as quarters for the miners that worked here.

But Shepard knew that there were none.

Across from the building stood a large platform with a walkway that extended towards the ground. From the platform there was a large cylindrical tube that extended deep within the ground.

"That's where we can enter the ruins," Shepard spoke aloud, pointing towards the tube. "That's where we need to go."

"Understood, commander," Ashley agreed. "But, frankly speaking, sir, I don't like it."

"It's too easy," Wrex spoke up. Shepard nodded.

"Let's be cautious," Shepard told them. Everyone tensed as they continued to walk forward, wary of the land around them.

The team moved expertly as one as they walked forward. Shepard was at point, his eyes proficiently checking the area for hostiles. He crouched and moved a hand to his left, motioning whoever was on his left to move forward slowly. Ashley, Garrus and Tali moved forward, wielding their assault rifle, sniper rifle and shotgun, respectively. Shepard did the same with his right side, motioning Wrex and Kaidan to move forward, armed with their shotgun and pistol respectively. Shepard moved forward with his assault rifle, ready for anything.

But the Geth were tricky and they had one trick up their sleeves.

Clinging to the underbelly of one of the walkways was a gray oval shape. As the team moved forward, the shape begun to shake. It sprung alive with four limbs and a head seemingly growing out of the oval. Like a fly, it clung to the bottom of the walkway, but like a frog it leapt downwards.

The 'Hopper,' as it was called, hit the ground with a thud, nearly surprising Shepard in the process. He aimed his gun at the geth and fired.

The Hopper leapt out of the way as the bullets kicked up dust in the ground. It clung to a wall and ran on all fours up the building.

Shepard began to feel the ground around him vibrate as a humming noise begun to creep its way across the landscape. Shepard held his rifle close to his shoulder as he quickly looked up towards the sky. He groaned aloud.

A geth drop ship flew through the air and hovered quickly over the land in front of the team. Everyone poised, ready for anything.

A squad of geth Shock Troopers dropped to the ground, rolled up in small spheres to lesson the damage done to them. They quickly unrolled themselves and got up, raising their weapons towards the team.

Another loud thud as the last member of the assault landed. This shape rose from the dust it generated. Rose up on all fours, towering over the team. Through the dust, a single flash of light appeared and moved forward, away from the dust cloud.

It was a geth Armature and it did not look happy.

"Ah, shit," Wrex, groaned.

"TAKE COVER!" Shepard shouted and everyone moved as the geth opened fire and hoppers sprung out of their hiding spots.

Ashley, Garrus and Tali ran behind a container. Garrus stayed close to the edge, sniper rifle ready. Ashley spotted another container a little ways towards the geth and ran towards it. She ducked behind it, crouching low to the ground so she wouldn't get in Garrus' line of fire. It was a bit unnerving, having a turian's fire coming almost straight across her shoulder, but she didn't think about it. She concentrated on placing a suppressing fire on the geth.

Kaidan wasn't as lucky. As soon as Shepard gave the order, a hopper's sniper shot hit him straight in the shoulder, knocking him to the ground. Wrex took a quick look at Kaidan and grumbled. Grabbing Kaidan by his ankle, Wrex dragged him behind cover, letting his shield take most of the damage aimed at him.

"I'm alright!" Kaidan shouted. Wrex ignored him and continued to drag him towards cover. Once they were safely behind cover, Wrex check on Kaidan. The bullet had indeed gone straight through. The Medi-Gel was already healing the wound. Wrex nodded and armed himself with his shotgun. Once he was ready, he popped out of cover and fired.

Shepard was having some difficulty. Especially since it seemed that the hoppers were aiming straight for him. He fired almost desperately at the little buggers. They weren't going to make it easy, especially considering how small they were.

"Damn hamsters!" Shepard grunted and took out his sniper rifle. He tracked one hopper patiently, waiting for one to stop moving.

The hopper jumped towards the wall.

Shepard had time.

The hopper rebounded off the wall and towards a boulder.

Shepard had all the time in the world.

The hopper stopped on the boulder, a red line of light coming from its flashlight head.

Shepard fired.

The hopper's flashlight head exploded.

Ashley peeked out of cover and fired at the nearest geth trooper. She sustained fire until the geth's shield was down. As soon as it was, Garrus fired at the geth's head, taking it clean off. Garrus smiled, not only at his kill but also at the teamwork. Ashley seemed to have put complete faith in Garrus' abilities. It was a start, he guessed.

Wrex was beginning to get extremely annoyed with the little buggers, hopping from place to place. They weren't going to make it easy, were they? However, Wrex was lucky. One hopper was shooting straight towards him, much to Wrex's glee. As the hopper came for him, Wrex sidestepped. His arms were stubby, but his hands were strong and managed to snatch the hopper as it came shooting through the air. Holding the wriggling thing in his hand, Wrex used his mighty jaws and bit down on the pathetic thing's head. The hopper slumped in his hand and Wrex spat the head out while dropping the body. That made his day.

The hoppers head, covered in saliva, landed on Kaidan's shoulder and rolled off, but Kaidan didn't notice. He was busy firing at the geth shock troopers. There were two of them left now, hiding behind cover. He aimed carefully with his pistol, waiting for one to poke its head out. Without losing sight of the area they were hiding, Kaidan reached out towards it and lifted the general area into the air. The ground began to glow slightly and the area began to slowly rise into the air. Kaidan saw that he had only managed to catch one of the geth troopers in the field, but he took it. Now using his Omni-Tool, he pointed his hand at the trooper, knowing that the Omni-Tool was designed to catch his hand motions and carry out whatever action was linked to that particular hand motion.

After clenching his fist, he then flicked his fingers apart, imitating a small imaginary explosion in his hand.

The geth trooper's shields overloaded and disappeared.

Kaidan than pointed a one-finger imaginary gun at the geth and pressed his thumb against his hand, like cocking the hammer on a gun and watching it shoot into the barrel when fired.

The geth trooper's gun began to overheat, rendering it useless.

Kaidan aimed with his pistol and opened fire, squeezing hard on the trigger. Bullets flew through the air, hitting the geth trooper multiple times in multiple places.

The geth trooper crumpled onto the ground.

Kaidan returned back into cover, breathing heavily. He glanced over to his right and made eye contact with Shepard. Shepard gave him thumbs up and a smile. Kaidan nodded in return.

"Nice job," Wrex complimented gruffly.

"Thanks," Kaidan breathed, shaking the dizziness away from his eyes. His head was starting to hurt.

Shepard turned his attention towards his right, looking towards Garrus and Ashley. Just Garrus and Ashley.

"Garrus!" Shepard shouted. "Where's Tali?"

"Sorry sir?" Garrus asked.

"Where's Tali?" Shepard shouted even louder this time. Garrus took a quick look around and realized that Tali was no longer beside him. He made a sharp look around the area, but couldn't see her anywhere. He cursed to himself.

"I don't know, sir!" Garrus shouted back. Garrus took a quick look and saw a hopper on top of the boulder Shepard was ducking behind. It was looking menacingly at Shepard, lens flashing.

That's all it did because Shepard blew its annoying head off with his shotgun without looking, causing it to be shot into the air and onto the ground.

Shepard opened his jaw and tried to pop his ears. That shotgun went off right beside his ear! Ignoring this, he quickly looked around, peeking over the boulder he was ducking behind.

He had about a second to realize that the Armature had just fired its cannon at him before he rolled out of the way.

The ground he was just on exploded and Shepard felt the shockwave go through his bones. When he looked back, the boulder seemed to have melted and a large impact crater had been formed. Shepard glanced over the cover he was behind now, nearer to Garrus and Ashley. The Armature was the main problem.

"Focus all fire on that Armature!" Shepard shouted as loud as he could, trying to get his voice over the din of gunfire and explosions. He used his assault rifle and concentrated his firepower on the Armature. He threw a grenade at one of the Armature's feet. They needed to bring it down!

The last geth trooper analyzed where the group was focusing their firepower on the most. All of the hoppers were dead so it was just the Armature and the trooper. He could see after a few seconds that the group was firing more at the Armature than at the trooper. It was possible that they didn't know that the trooper was still alive. It could use this to its advantage. Glancing at the Armature one last time, he ran towards the human mining complex, hoping to flank the team through there.

Instead he bumped into a quarian.

"Hello there!" Tali exclaimed.

The trooper attempted to fire his assault rifle, but Tali activated her Omni-Tool and opened her hand wide.

The trooper began to convulse wildly, dropping its gun towards the ground.

Tali used her other hand to press commands into her Omni-Tool, which relayed them to the trooper.

The geth trooper finally stopped convulsing and looked up at the quarian. It quickly picked up its gun, turned around and ran back towards the Armature. It had to take the Armature down and protect the quarian! Tali followed closely behind, seemingly smiling to herself.

Shepard continued to fire at the behemoth until something strange caught his eye. He squinted and blinked. Was that geth trooper firing at the Armature? And was that Tali climbing on top of the Armature's back? He smiled to himself as the firing from the Armature died down.

"Atta girl," he whispered to himself. He turned towards the group. "Move up! Covering fire!" The team began to slowly make its way forward while distracting the Armature from Tali.

Tali had never heard of a rodeo. She had never been bronc riding before. But if she had, she could easily have seen the similarities. Tali clung onto its back for dear life, though there was barely anything to hold onto. She managed grip the handle of the blade attached to her boot. She pulled out her mother's blade and plunged it deep into the Armature's back. Now that she had a firm grip aboard the Armature, she could now attack the Armature's systems directly.

The Armature seemed to roar as his systems began to go…haywire. It swayed back and forth, trying hard to not fall down to the ground. There was an annoying…something attack its shields to its left. The Armature moved a foot up and slammed down on the geth trooper, crushing it. No good, there were more attacking its shield elsewhere.

The shield's turned off. The Armature was now taking direct damage.

Tali could feel the Armature begin to slow down. Good, it was weakening. One more hit should do it.

Wrex aimed his shotgun and fired a single round into the Armature's head. It was a normal round however, being nearly five times the normal size of a round. It was a overcharged round; a 'carnage' round, as Wrex called it.

The carnage round hit the Armature and it recoiled slightly. It gave one more roar and fell to the ground, the light in its eye dimming and finally going out.

Everyone was tense, their weapons still aimed at the behemoth. Then slowly, they began to lower their weapons.

"Alright, who's not dead? Sound off," Shepard ordered.

"Here," Ashley answered.

"Right here," Kaidan answered.

"Waiting on you, commander," Garrus answered.

"I'm hungry," Wrex muttered.

"Ready, commander," Tali answered as she walked towards the group, blade in her hand. Shepard looked over at Tali. He walked up to her and looked directly at her.

"Normally, this is the part where I berate you for acting out against orders, going out on your own, possibly bringing danger to the team, insubordination, and possible gold-bricking-"

Ashley flinched.

"-but honestly, I don't really care cause what you did was freakin' awesome," Shepard exclaimed. "Good job. Next time though, just tell me what you're going to do before you do it, okay?"

Tali nodded. Shepard couldn't tell if she was smiling, but assumed she was.

"Alright, scout out, guys!" Shepard ordered. "Look for stragglers! Stay within radio contact! Then meet back here in 5 minutes!" Everyone nodded and spread out, guns ready. Tali was about to run off.

"Tali!" Shepard called. "Come here for a moment." Tali walked over. "You always carry that blade?"

"Yeah," Tali said. "It belonged to my mother. It's been in her family for generations."

"May I see it?" Shepard asked.

"Sure," Tali held it up, handle first to Shepard. Shepard examined it under the light.

It was a silver blade with a black handle and small hilt. It was about twice as long as Shepard blade, but noticeably straighter. It reminded Shepard of the Japanese katanas the Samurai's wielded, though shorter than that. The blade was as long as the length from Tali's knee to her ankle. Shepard swung the blade once. It cut smoothly in the air.

"It's a good blade," Shepard noted.

"Yes," Tali said. "When my mother died, it was passed on to me."

"How did she die?" Shepard asked.

"Airborne virus," Tali told him quietly. Shepard nodded, small memories playing behind his eyes. He gave the blade back to Tali.

"You know what to do," Shepard said. Tali hesitated for a moment. Shepard's voice was barely above a whisper. Had she offended Shepard in some way? Tali stayed for a moment than ran off, sheathing the blade in the scabbard attached to her left boot and took out her shotgun.

Shepard walked over to one of the legs of the dead Armature and sat down. He stared at the ground for a moment and took out his knife. It shined brightly, the sunlight reflected off of it.

"_No, you idiot!" Jane shouted. "You're holding the blade like some retarded person! Hold it like a man!"_

"_I'm learning how to hold a knife like a man from a girl!" John shouted back. "And your shouting isn't helping!"_

"_I'll shout as much as I want to, dipshit!" Jane shouted back._

"_WILL YOU TWO SHUT IT!" came a voice from one of the apartment buildings._

"_COME DOWN HERE AND MAKE US!" Jane yelled._

"_That's it…" the voice muttered and shadowed figure peeked out of the window, brandishing a gun. "IF YOU'RE NOT OUT OF HERE, I'MMA SHOOT THE BOTH OF YOU!"_

"_YOU HAVEN'T GOT THE BALLS!" Jane shouted defiantly. Until the bullet ricocheted by her feet. Then she was running. "RUN, JOHN! RUN LIKE JASON VOORHEES IS AFTER YOU!"_

_John didn't know who Jason Voorhees was, but he ran all the same. John ran to keep up, but his little legs wouldn't carry him that far and he was losing breath. He tripped and landed on his head._

_His vision swam around him as he tried to discern what was what. When his vision cleared, Jane was dragging him along, one arm slung around her shoulders._

"_Jesus Christ, you weigh a ton!" Jane muttered angrily. John looked at her for a moment then looked at the ground._

"_Sorry," John whispered. Jane looked at him and noticed his sad expression. "I made you worry about me again." Jane smiled._

"_Don't worry about it," Jane told him cheerfully. "That's why you're learning how to use a knife, right? So you can protect yourself. But learning how to use it comes with time and patience. You can't just snap your fingers and have it as a gift. So until you do, I'll protect you. That's a promise!"_

_Jane raised her hand and held out her pinky. John smiled and took her pinky with his. They held it there for a moment, staring into each other's eyes. John then took his arm from around Jane's neck._

"_So where to now?" John asked._

"_We've got 3 hours until Finch said for the Ten Street Reds to meet up, so want to lift some turian smokes?" Jane asked._

"_Yup!" Shepard told her. Jane smiled and they walked on. It was only later that Jane took John's hand with a smile. John looked at Jane with surprise. Jane was looking at John, but looking forward. He could see the color red forming at her cheeks. John smiled and looked away, color coming to his cheeks._

_They walked hand in hand to the drug store._

"Commander?" Ashley's voice cut in. Shepard looked up at her face, full of concern.

"We ready?" Shepard asked. Ashley didn't answer at first. She had been sure there was something in his eyes, even just for a brief moment. Warm happiness was it? She couldn't tell.

"Yes, we're all waiting," she gestured to the others gathered around. Kaidan was drinking water with Wrex looking after him. Garrus and Tali were talking with each other. Shepard looked at them for a moment longer and sheathed the knife back in its scabbard.

"Let's go," Shepard said getting up. Everyone snapped to attention and followed him up the ramp to the entrance to the mine.

Shepard pressed a button and the door opened to reveal a dimly lit tunnel that stretched on deeper into the ground. Everyone gazed into the darkness in a hushed silence.

"Who wants to go down the creepy tunnel of darkness first?" Shepard asked. No one answered.

Shepard took the first step and his crew followed.

* * *

If you look closely enough, there is a knife on Tali's boot.

Someone once said my Shepard was like John McClane from the Die Hard series. So, you may recognize the line "Damn Hamsters" from _Live Free or Die Hard_. Now, I had never seen a Die Hard film until that one, but I have to say, I liked it.

The line last chapter stays the way it is. Three people said to replace it and one said not to. Better luck next time.

Okay, so I just finished Wolf's Rain and I have to say, I'm actually pleased with the ending. So many anime out there that screw up the ending and I'm glad that some people know what to do. I was going to go over the storyline, but it took up like 3 pages, so I decided against it. Read my blog if you want it. That is, if I get around to actually doing it.

Till next time.


	21. Chapter 16: Get Out Alive

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«2.03: Artemis Tau: Knossos System: Therum: Prothean Ruins»

«or Get Out Alive»

The cavern was quiet and slightly dark. Light from the nearby lamps was the only thing that lit the cave, but the geth didn't need light. They could see well enough without light. The particular geth trooper standing by the elevator didn't really care much for light. It also didn't care much for the Prothean tower near the center of the cave. It had a job to do; guard the exit and make sure no one got in.

A geth drone hovered nearby, beeping silently to itself. It slowly went back to its patrol by heading up the passageway leading up to the surface.

It met its end halfway up the passageway.

The geth trooper by the elevator didn't hear the drone's demise. It also didn't hear the spectre sneak up and stab his knife through its head.

Shepard quickly took a look around, seeing if anything heard the noise. Silently, he placed the dead geth to the ground, eyes never leaving the area. Nothing came. After a moment, Shepard signaled his team to move forward.

The team emerged from the passageway, weapons ready. Wrex tossed the remains of the drone on the ground and brought the shotgun to his eyes.

"Amazing," Kaidan breathed. He was staring at the Prothean tower and the glowing light blue doorways.

"From what I can tell," Tali said. "The cave formed around the ruins after it was built. It must have taken a long time just to reach it from the surface."

"We're not here to go sight-seeing, people," Shepard told them. "Lets just find the good doctor and go our merry way."

They all nodded and proceeded to cautiously make their way deeper into the cave. They met little resistance and whatever enemy they did meet, they easily took down without much of a fuss. Soon, they all piled into an elevator and made their way deeper underground.

Ashley glanced at Shepard. He was still gazing forward.

"Sir, are you alright?" Ashley dared herself to ask. Shepard continued to look forward, seemingly not looking at anything.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Shepard asked in return. His face never changed.

"You seemed…distant outside," Ashley told him.

"Did I, now?" Shepard stated. "You're very observant." Ashley almost sighed. He was avoiding the topic.

"Were you thinking about something?" Ashley asked him.

"Possibly," Shepard told her.

"But you're not going to tell me," Ashley stated.

Shepard turned his head towards her, looking deep into her eyes. Ashley looked back at him, looking into his bright blue eyes. She didn't realize just how blue they were. She also noticed that his right eye was a little paler than his left, but that was possibly because of the scar that ran down from his forehead to his cheek.

"Not now," Shepard told her. He turned back and looked at the wall. Ashley couldn't help but smile. She couldn't help but feel that Shepard just made a promise with her.

The elevator began to spark and jerked to a halt. Sparks flew everywhere as every tried to regain their footing.

"Stupid elevator," Wrex grumbled.

Shepard sighed and grabbed the doorway, yanking it open. Luckily, they were near a platform, thought it didn't seem to go anywhere. Shepard jumped out of the elevator and onto the platform, gun raised. His team followed after him, cautiously walking to the end of the platform.

"Um…h-hello?" came a soft voice from below. Shepard nearly started at the sound of the voice. It sounded so…meek and small to him. He furrowed his brow. Glancing over the railing, he saw another platform below him, where the voice came from. He gestured for his team to go over the side and jumped over the railing, landing on his feet but instinctively bent his knees to reduce the noise.

Shepard looked up to a blue, glowing transparent doorway. Behind the doorway was a transparent, floating sphere. And inside the sphere, floating with her arms stretched out was Dr. Liara T'Soni.

Finally.

Shepard needed a victory smoke.

"Can you hear me out there?" Liara pleaded. "I'm trapped! I need help!"

"I can see that! Stop shouting!" Shepard told her. Liara shut her mouth, looking slightly chagrined. Shepard examined her for a moment. She wore the traditional scientist suit, which was green with stripes of white. Her skin was of a light blue hue, and her lips were slightly pink. As with all asari, her features had much more in common with humans, which some people found slightly unnerving. To Shepard, this Liara seemed…cute. "Dr. Liara T'Soni?"

"Yes, that's me," Liara said. "Thank the goddess! I didn't think anyone would come looking for me! Listen! This thing I'm in is a Prothean security device! I can't move so…I need you to get me out of it, alright!"

Shepard looked at the doorway and reached out with his hand.

"No! Wait!" Liara exclaimed.

When Shepard's hand touched the barrier, a sharp electric jolt shot through his body. Shepard recoiled his arm and began nursing it.

"Jesus! That stings!" Shepard exclaimed.

"I'm sorry! The barrier will not allow anyone to pass! It's some sort of defense mechanism!" Liara told him apologetically.

"Ya could've told me that a little sooner!" Shepard all but shouted. "Geez!"

"Oh, don't be such a baby," Ashley muttered.

"I don't see you sticking your hand on the electric field of pain!" Shepard shot at her.

Liara stared at the exchange with…confusion.

"How'd you get in there?" Kaidan asked.

"I was exploring the ruins when the geth showed up, so I hid in here," Liara told them. "Can you believe _that_? Geth beyond the Veil! I activated the tower's defenses, I knew the barrier curtain would keep them out."

"Yeah, no shit," Shepard muttered. Ashley shook her head.

"When I turned it on, I must of hit something I wasn't supposed to," Liara continued. "I was trapped in here! You must get me out! Please!"

Shepard looked at the asari for a moment. She really did look helpless. He couldn't ignore her. He sighed.

"Alright," Shepard told her. "How do we do it?"

"There's a control in here that should deactivate this thing," Liara told him. "You'll have to find some way past the barrier curtain. That's the tricky part. The defenses cannot be shut off from the outside. I don't know how you'll get in here!"

"We'll find a way," Shepard said. "I promise." Liara seemed comforted by that.

"Hey Shepard," Garrus called. Shepard turned and walked to where Garrus was standing by the railing. Garrus pointed to a large contraption. "That's a mining laser, isn't it?"

Shepard looked at it for a moment. Then a mischievous grin popped onto his face.

"Why yes it is!" Shepard said cheerfully. He turned back to Liara. "We'll be back in a moment."

"Be careful," Liara warned. "There's a turian, a krogan and a salarian with the geth. The turian asked me questions. About the Protheans and about my mother. He scared me the most with his blood red eyes and skull like facial markings."

"Tuvok!" Kaidan exclaimed. Shepard sighed.

"What about the krogan and the salarian?" Tali asked.

"The krogan looked similar to your friend over there, but was slightly larger and had a large scar on his chest," Liara warned. "The salarian kept more to the side and I didn't see much of him, but they referred to him as a doctor of some sorts."

Everyone remembered the fight against the turian biotic all too well.

"We'll manage," Shepard told them. "Hang in there. We'll get you out." Shepard smiled slightly. Liara smiled back hopefully.

Liara watched them leave. After they left, a thought came to her mind. She now recognized the man in front of her. Commander John Shepard! She had heard of him before but never really paid much attention. There were so she didn't pay much attention to these days. She had heard much about him but never really gave him much thought. She was just another human to her. Why should she care?

Oh, she had heard of how Shepard had come in contact with a Prothean beacon, one that was still intact and functional. She almost packed up camp and left Therum the minute she heard. However, she also heard of how it was destroyed almost afterwards. She was disappointed but busied herself with other things.

She stared at the ground as she continued to think over the past few days as well as her current predicament. How helpless was she? When the geth came all she could do was run and hide. And now she ended up getting caught by a Prothean security device, like a pitiful child. She felt so pathetic. Now all she could do was wait for Shepard and his team to free her from her own mistakes. She couldn't help but wish that she were more like Shepard. Or more like some of the others with him. She just wished she could do more then just study rocks and fossils. She knew she loved her work on the Protheans. It was her life. But she wished she had talent for something more…useful.

"How's it hanging?" came a cheerful voice that broke through her thoughts.

Surprised, she would have jumped if she could. Quickly looking to her left, she saw Shepard standing there with a smile on his face. She couldn't see the rest of his face because the helmet obscured it. But she could tell that his smile was genuine.

"How…how did you manage to break through the barrier?" Liara asked. Shepard just smiled broadly.

"Well," Shepard stated. "I used Wrex's head as a battering ram and broke a hole through the wall."

"Like hell you did!" Wrex shouted. He almost darted forward to punch Shepard and if Kaidan hadn't held him back, he probably would have.

"We used the mining laser to bore a hole underneath you," Tali explained. "We then took the elevator up to your level." Shepard crossed his arms, looking dejected.

"Of course," Liara agreed. "Y-yes, that makes sense."

"Can't you people let me have anything?" Shepard asked, sounding hurt. Ashley sighed.

Liara watched this exchange with a confused look on her face. Was this how all humans acted? How peculiar.

"So, how do we let you down, doctor?" Shepard asked, serious again.

"Y-yes, please get me out of here!" Liara stammered. She turned her head as much as she could towards her left. "That button _should_ shut down this containment field." Shepard looked to where she gestured, seeing a yellow-green holographic console being projected from a pedestal.

"Sounds easy enough," Shepard made a move to walk over to the console before a voice cut the air.

"Wait, commander!" Ashley said. "Her mother is working for the geth! Are you sure we can trust her?"

"She makes a good point, commander," Garrus agreed.

"But if she was _really_ working for Saren, the geth wouldn't be trying to kill her," Kaidan spoke up.

"I am _not_ my mother!" Liara exclaimed, cutting through the words. "I don't…I don't even know _why_ Benezia joined Saren! I don't want anything to _do _with that turian bastard!"

Liara nearly breathed heavily. She was in this confounded contraption for nearly an entire day and they were busy figuring out if she could be trusted? She just wanted to get out and leave this planet.

Shepard looked at Liara. Despite her calm and shy demeanor, she was feisty.

Interesting.

He looked at Ashley.

"Works for me," Shepard stated. He moved over to the console and examined the console. There were nearly hundreds of different buttons, each tagged with some symbol that…oddly enough seemed familiar to Shepard. He pressed one of the buttons and heard a thud behind him.

Shepard turned and saw Liara on her hands and knees. Shepard noticed that she was quivering a little bit. He walked over and held out his hand to hers. Liara looked up towards Shepard.

She has blue eyes. They're innocent but knowledgeable.

"You alright?" Shepard asked. Liara nodded and took his hand.

"The sudden drop was a little…unsettling but I'll be alright," Liara explained. "Thank you." Shepard pulled her up and Liara finally the rest of Shepard's face.

He has blue eyes. They're tough but kind.

"Any idea how to get out of this place?" Wrex asked her.

"Before more geth show up," Tali commented. Liara let go of Shepard's hands…almost reluctantly. She nodded.

"There is an elevator at the center of the tower," Liara explained. "At least I…I _think_ it's an elevator. It should take us out of here."

"Then let's go," Shepard ordered.

The team plus Liara moved onto the elevator, which was a circular platform. Shepard peered upwards; it was a long cylindrical hallway of sorts that extended upwards. Glancing at the walls, they appeared to be made of solid stone, though it had a metallic sheen to it. However, it had an aged look to it. Shepard could only guess as to how old these ruins are.

"I…I don't think I believe all this," Liara said breathlessly. "Why would the geth come after me? Who are those…men that questioned me? Do you think Benezia's involved?" Before Shepard could answer, Ashley jumped in.

"Uh, Saren's _looking_ for the Conduit!" Ashley shot at her vehemently. "Think fast, Miss Prothean expert!"

Shepard couldn't tell why Ashley was being so sarcastic right now. Jealousy? Of what? Or whom? Shepard didn't really like where this was going.

"The Conduit? But I don' know-" Before she could finish, a thundering roar echoed through the cavern followed by a large quake. The team nearly lost their footing. Shepard quickly looked around, trying to figure out what that was.

"What the hell was that?" Wrex exclaimed.

"A bomb?" Garrus asked.

"No," Shepard remarked. "This quake was too…natural."

"These ruins are not stable," Liara spoke up. "That mining laser must have triggered a seismic event. We have to hurry, the whole place is caving in!"

She rushed over to the center of the elevator and began pushing buttons on the console there. Shepard quickly activated his radio.

"Joker! Get the Normandy airborne and lock in on my signal! On the double!" Shepard said over the radio.

"Aye aye, Commander," Joker calmly replied. "Secure and away! ETA eight minutes."

"It's going to be close, skipper," Ashley told him. Shepard gave her a reassuring and almost devilish smile.

"That just makes things more interesting," Shepard told her.

The elevator lurched upwards and began its slow ascent. Small plumes of dust fell onto the ground and the quakes started to become more frequent. Shepard put on a brave face as he looked at everyone.

"Everyone alright?" Shepard asked. Everyone looked up.

"Alright here, skipper," Ashley told him. She shifted from one foot to the other as she waited impatiently.

"I'm okay, sir," Kaidan said. He rubbed his temples a little as looked up.

"I'll be fine, Commander," Garrus said. His constant moving betrayed his nervousness.

"I'm bored as hell," Wrex grumbled. He didn't appear nervous or impatient at all. He was just waiting.

"All good here," Tali said. Her face was covered but she shifted a little closer to Garrus.

Shepard looked over at Liara who looked back at him. Their eyes locked for a moment before she nodded strongly.

Ashley pretended not to see.

The elevator soon stopped at the top and the group found themselves surrounded by around 15 geth, all pointing their weapons at them.

"Why the hell am I not surprised?" Shepard snarled. Everyone almost reached for their weapons, but Shepard stopped them. Liara looked anxiously from side to side.

"Well, well, well," came a deep booming voice. "Looky what we got here."

The voice came from a krogan near the exit, which was blocked off by an geth energy shield. In front of the shield stood three very different individuals.

Tuvok was standing with the same bored expression upon his face, with his black trench coat dirtied a little by the dust, eyes blood red and white skull facial markings shining through. Kaidan stared at him and clenched his fist.

A krogan was standing next to him, arms crossed and face smugly triumphant. His skin was a darker version of yellow; much like Wrex's but his forehead was a very dark shade of red. Shepard noticed that he bore similar features as Wrex did but was visibly much older. He also had a scar-like cut on his armor where his heart was located. Wrex stared in mute disbelief.

A salarian sat on the ground near them, pondering over his Omni-Tool. He had dark red skin and completely black eyes. He seemed completely entranced with whatever he was working on to notice that his lab coat was covered in blood. Oh, it had dried up by now, but he didn't seem to mind. Garrus stared in a tense anger.

"Good afternoon, Commander Shepard," Tuvok said dully, bowing slightly and politely. "It is good to see you again."

"Can't say the feeling's mutual," Shepard retorted. His hands slowly drifted towards his belt.

"That's a shame," Tuvok replied. His blood-red eyes shifted. "Dr. T'Soni. It is good to see you have escaped safely from the security field."

Liara stared wide-eyed, mouth gaping and shifted behind Shepard. Her eyes never left those blood-red eyes. She couldn't even if she tried. Shepard moved in front of her, almost instinctively. Liara looked up and saw Shepard's cool face staring back at his enemies. Liara almost breathed a sigh of relief. She felt…safe.

A small pebble fell from the ceiling with a plume of dust.

"You've got two options here, Shepard," the krogan spoke harshly. "One, you hand over the asari and we kill you or two, we kill you and get the asari anyways. Either way, we win."

"…if we do the second option, the doctor may be killed…" the salarian mumbled.

"What was that, Saleon?" the krogan asked roughly.

"Dr. Saleon said that if we do the second option, Dr. T'Soni may be killed in the crossfire," Tuvok answered. "I didn't think you didn't have ears, Warlord Jarrod."

"What was that, turian!" Jarrod roared.

"Jarrod!" Wrex growled loudly, stepping forward. Shepard shot him a glance, but Wrex continued to step forward, rage building in his eyes. Jarrod looked over at Wrex and smiled.

A larger rock fell and hit one of the geth troopers on the head. It didn't even flinch.

"Well, well, sonny boy," Jarrod said condescendingly. "How've you been?"

"How the hell are you still alive?" Wrex exclaimed. "I killed you with my bare hands!" Jarrod grinned viciously.

"Next time, check your kills, sonny boy," Jarrod growled mockingly. Wrex took a threatening step forward only to be stopped by a geth Shock Trooper, who pointed its assault rifle at him.

"Out of my way, scrap metal," Wrex growled.

The geth didn't move.

"I said," Wrex repeated, raising his fist in the air. It brimmed with biotic energy. "OUT OF MY WAY!" His fist was thrust downward and crashed into the geth's head. The fist continued its descent and turned back, creating an arc in the air. The geth splintered into pieces, having been cut in half. It collapsed in a heap.

"Wrex, get back here!" Shepard shouted. Wrex didn't listen; he couldn't listen. He was completely blind with rage. He ran forward, crashing into the geth in front of him, trampling over them like they were nothing.

Jarrod grinned in anticipation.

"Stop. Don't," was all Tuvok said uninterestingly. Dr. Saleon continued to type on his Omni-Tool.

Jarrod roared in rage and excitement. He charged forward, crushing the geth in front of him. Wrex and Jarrod charged straight for each other as larger and larger rocks began to tumble from the ceiling.

"Damn it!" Shepard reached for his belt and grabbed his grenades.

Wrex and Jarrod neared each other, all the while paving a path of twisted and broken metal.

Shepard threw his grenades in one movement and in all directions.

Wrex and Jarrod raised their fists, biotic energy filling them.

The grenades fell within the ranks of the geth, who turned towards them.

Wrex's fist collided with Jarrod's stomach and Jarrod's fist collided with Wrex's face.

The grenades exploded and the team grabbed their weapons.

"Open fire!" Shepard shouted.

* * *

CLIFFHANGER!

Okay, I owe you guys an explanation.

A little while ago, I heard that Blizzard was hosting a Creative Writing Contest and I decided to submit my story _The Call of the Lich King: Seven Days of Torment_. So I started working nonstop on writing it in time for the deadline. This took my attention away from my true interest, which is Mass Effect. However, I made a choice and I followed through with it.

So, on Saturday April 11, I was up until 1 am working on the story. When I finished, I had to cut out over 400 words so that the story would be under 10,000 words. It was then that I realized that I there wasn't supposed to be characters participating in lewd or graphic activities (which is odd since their games are kind of violent). And since in my story, Arthas eats a footman, I had to cut out the blood and gore. Then, I had to find a way to cut down the file to fewer than 100 KB.

From 184 KB.

And then I needed a break from working that hard. Or I have just been preoccupied with other things.

So that's what I've been up to.

Again, sorry for the long wait. And enjoy.

BTW, anyone read Berserk?


	22. Chapter 17: Scream

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«2.04: Artemis Tau: Knossos System: Therum: Prothean Ruins»

«or Scream»

Jarrod's fist collided into Wrex's face, nearly knocking the mighty krogan into unconsciousness. The full force of the blow was felt all the way down his spine and throughout his skull. Wrex blinked away the pain and quickly found his footing. He charged forward, leaning low to the ground as he sped forward. Wrapping his arms around Jarrod's legs, he quickly used his shoulders to push against the legs and pushed forward and up. With his legs going behind him and up, Jarrod's body spun forward and onto the ground, doing a 180° spin. With a thud, Jarrod landed on his back, the air rushing out of his lungs.

Wrex pushed against the ground and jumped backwards. With a large crash, his large back landed right into Jarrod's stomach, further pushing all the air out of his lungs and leaving him coughing heavily. Wrex raised his arms and shot his elbow right into Jarrod's face, feeling some cartilage breaking from the force of the blow. Growling, Jarrod caught Wrex's arm and used it as leverage while pushing against his back. Using all of his strength, he pushed the heavy krogan off of his body and face first into the ground.

Jarrod grabbed Wrex's head, lifted it, and slammed it back into the ground. He repeated this motion several times, feeling the crack echo through his arms, giving him a sense of glee. Orange blood squirted out from the wounds every time he crashed the head into the ground. Jarrod then let go of his head, which groaned softly. Jarrod raised his fist back, the shimmering blue-black of biotic energy coursing through the fist. He roared as he shot the fist straight into the back of Wrex's head.

Using his arms, Wrex quickly pushed his body out of the way. The fist crashed into the ground, pushing debris and rocks everywhere. Wrex quickly got his feet underneath his body and grabbed the front of Jarrod's armor. Pulling the armor towards him, Wrex pushed his head forward. With a loud crack, Wrex's head crashed into Jarrod's face, mixing the blood of father and son together. Wrex then pulled back his fist, gathering biotic energy into it and fired it straight into Jarrod's stomach. Jarrod coughed up blood as he felt his insides shift under the strain.

Gritting through the pain, Jarrod landed and shifted his foot, sliding it across the ground and into Wrex's foot. Sliding it along the ground, Wrex lost his footing and nearly fell to the ground. Jarrod used this opportunity to grab Wrex other foot and the back of Wrex's armor. Shouting as adrenaline filled him, Jarrod spun his own body around and lifted Wrex. Using a combination of biotic energy and his own strength, Jarrod threw Wrex into the air. As Wrex crashed into the ground, Jarrod let out a mighty, victorious and animal-like roar.

Shepard saw Wrex get tossed across the room. He didn't think it was possible, but he saw it with his own two eyes. He wanted to help him, but he had bigger problems to deal with right now. Namely the large company of geth that were still shooting at them. He had to take them all out and clear the way but they weren't making that easy. Plus, the ceiling was about to come down right on their heads at any minute. He had taken most of them out when he tossed the grenades but there were still some left and they had the team pinned down behind a crane-like contraption in the back of the room.

Shepard leaned out from cover and fired his assault rifle. He quickly went back into cover as the geth fired at him. He looked over to his teammates, who were taking cover and trying to take whatever shots they could without getting shot at. They were tired, Shepard knew. They wouldn't last long.

Muttering a curse, he tried to look around the room for something, anything that could help them. As he looked around, his eyes locked onto Tuvok. He was merely standing there, observing the fight between Wrex and Jarrod, hardly amused. His eyes went on to see another pillar that descended from the ceiling and to the ground. Shepard went back behind cover and crouched over to Ashley.

"Chief!" Shepard said over the din of gunfire. "Do you see that pillar over there?" Ashley peeked out from cover.

"Yeah!" Ashley said.

"I need you and Garrus to go over to that pillar and flank them!" Shepard told her. "We'll provide covering fire!"

"Commander!" Garrus told him. "They're too many of them! You can't distract all of them. If we go out there, we'll get slaughtered."

Shepard bit his lip. He was right. Shepard looked around for something else. He was out of grenades, so that was out.

"Watch out!" Tali shouted. A large boulder crashed into the ground, exploding into pieces. Shepard stared and blinked at the crumpled heap for a moment. Then looked up at the ceiling.

Dodging sniper fire, he smirked.

"Lieutenant!" Shepard exclaimed. "Can you grab that rock up there and drop it on top of the geth?"

"Which one?" Kaidan asked.

"That one," Shepard pointed it out. "You can sort of see it." Kaidan furrowed his brow.

"No, sir," Kaidan told him. "It's too big. I can't lift something that big. Especially now, with my migraine as big as it is."

Shepard looked at him and saw the truth. Kaidan was tired and blood was beginning to drop down his nose. Any more strain and Kaidan could…

"Dammit!" Shepard shouted.

"Um…I can do it," came a meek voice. Shepard spun his head and looked at Liara, who was hiding next to him. Shepard had almost forgotten she was there. Liara's coat was completely dirty and she had a few scrapes on her. She was also scared out of her mind. Shepard could see it.

"Are you sure?" Shepard asked. She had to be sure. Their lives were at stake.

Liara looked up at the rock again and around at the battle that unfolded before her. She wasn't a soldier. She was a scientist. This wasn't her forte. But they had to get out of here, and if they needed help, Liara had to help. She pressed her lips together and nodded.

"Yes," she said firmly. Shepard looked into her blue eyes and saw determination.

"Alright," Shepard said. "Chief, Garrus, once that rock comes down, you run your asses off and get to that pillar. The Lieutenant, Tali and I will provide covering fire."

"What about Wrex, sir?" Kaidan asked. Shepard looked over to where Wrex and Jarrod were fighting. Shepard looked thoughtful for a moment.

"He'll be fine," Shepard said without the least bit of a tremor in his voice.

Wrex was not fine. He didn't remember his father ever being this strong. Sure, he was tough. He was the Warlord of the Urdnot clan, after all. The Warlord was in fact, the strongest in krogan in the clan. But was he always this strong? Had he gotten stronger over the years?

Or had Wrex gotten weaker?

Wrex pushed himself up with a grunt. Spitting out blood, he looked up at Jarrod. Jarrod looked down at Wrex, eyes full of arrogance and pride. Jarrod spat out a glob of blood and smiled wickedly, blood drooling down his face. Wrex stared back, eyes full of hate. Jarrod was having fun, which only meant one thing.

Jarrod was toying with Wrex.

Wrex roared with rage as he rushed forward.

Jarrod punched Wrex straight in the face, blood exploding from his broken nose.

Wrex landed on his back with a sharp thud. Wrex coughed as he struggled to get up. Jarrod stomped straight onto Wrex's chest, causing Wrex to cough up more blood. Jarrod looked down at Wrex.

"What's wrong, sonny boy?" Jarrod asked. "You used to be the best fighter in the entire Urdnot clan. What happened, did your balls drop off? Don't tell me this is the best you can do. If it is, then that is just…pathetic. I didn't think it was possible for someone to actually become weaker, but I guess you proved me wrong, sonny boy."

Jarrod reached behind his back and drew his ceremonial knife. It was jagged and rough, and it looked more like a small spine of some creature. Wrex tried to push himself up but was forced down by Jarrod's foot.

"You disappoint me, son," Jarrod told him. His voice solemn and regretful. "I really had high hopes for you. But I guess it wasn't meant to be."

Jarrod held the blade up high, preparing to swing it down.

There was a loud and tumultuous thud followed by a sharp blast of dust and rocks that exploded from behind Jarrod, catching him off guard. Wrex took this chance and exploded upwards, throwing Jarrod into the ground. Wrex landed on top of him and grabbed the knife from Jarrod's hand. He quickly brought it down into Jarrod's chest. Jarrod's hand shot out and grabbed Wrex's wrist, stopping the downward motion.

Glaring deep into each other's eyes, they wrestled against each other's strength. Wrex pushed downward with the knife while Jarrod pushed upwards against Wrex's wrist.

"Covering fire!" Shepard shouted as he, Tali and Kaidan went from behind cover and began firing upon the group. Ashley and Garrus ran around the outside of the platform, finally reaching the pillar. They both quickly checked their equipment and looked at each other.

They nodded.

They burst out of cover and began firing upon the stragglers. The geth in the center of the chamber began to burst and fall apart as the combined might of the team began to destroy all of the remaining geth.

While Garrus used his sniper rifle to take out the geth snipers ringing the platform, Ashley used her assault rifle to blast away the geth rocket troopers, as they were the deadliest.

Tali used her Omni-Tool to short-circuit the wirings within one of the geth. She seemed pleased when the geth's head exploded, spraying mechanical parts everywhere.

As the Tali exploded the geth, Kaidan used his biotics to lift them into the air and slam them into the ground, crushing them under the weight of gravity.

Shepard used his own Omni-Tool to blow up their weapons and shields while using his shotgun to blow them into pieces. He felt immensely satisfied as his team blew them all into pieces.

Tuvok looked on as the geth's numbers began to fade away. He blinked and turned to the salarian.

"Dr. Saleon, will you be alright here?" Tuvok asked. "I'm afraid I will have to leave you."

Dr. Saleon gave the smallest of nods, still engrossed in his research.

Tuvok looked back at the battle. The air around his body shifted and churned as he used his biotics to distort the air. He faded from sight.

Wrex tried with all his might to push the blade into Jarrod's chest but the krogan was a rock. Jarrod barely looked like he was exerting any energy in holding the knife back. Wrex's blood dripped down onto Jarrod's face but he barely flinched. Instead, he looked deep into Wrex's eyes. Wrex looked back and was surprised by what he saw. He saw disappointment in Jarrod's eyes.

Slowly, Wrex began to weaken and Jarrod pushed the knife back. Without a word, Jarrod's hand shot and gripped Wrex's neck tightly. Jarrod could feel the blood coursing through Wrex's neck and veins. Pushing upwards while still gripping Wrex's wrist, Jarrod lifted Wrex into the air, his crushing grip tight around Wrex's neck. Wrex's other hand struggled to grasp Jarrod's wrist struggled to summon his biotics to help him and struggled to get Jarrod's hand to release his neck. Wrex gurgled as his windpipe was slowly closed. His red eyes bulged and blood leaked from his mouth and down his chin.

Jarrod glared at his son with regret. He narrowed his eyes as he tightened his grip.

"Freeze!" Shepard shouted from behind him. Jarrod shot a look and saw the team all pointing their weapons at him. Shepard was pointing his pistol at Jarrod, a look of anger and cold calculation in his eyes. Kaidan was also pointing his pistol at Jarrod while standing next to Shepard. Ashley was gripping her assault rifle tightly as Garrus had Jarrod in his sights with his sniper rifle. Tali was standing next to Kaidan, shotgun raised to her eyes as she aimed at Jarrod. Liara stayed back behind cover as she was told to.

"Drop him," Shepard ordered, death in his voice. Jarrod eyed Shepard for a moment. He scoffed and released Wrex, who fell to the ground with a cough. Wrex continued to cough as he fought the air back into his lungs. Shepard glanced down at Wrex only for a moment before he eyed Jarrod once again. He looked around again and noticed something else.

Tuvok was nowhere to be seen.

Jarrod chuckled as realization dawned on Shepard's face.

"He really is a scary guy, the turian," Jarrod stated. "That turian can get inside your head and destroy it with a thought. A twitch of his finger and your head is torn off. His powers are truly frightening, even to me. He's a biotic, someone who can manipulate dark energy, the fifth force of the universe. As such, he can manipulate many facets of the universe. Such as light. He can even make sure it doesn't reflect off of his body, making him completely invisible to the naked eye."

"Please, Warlord Jarrod," Tuvok's voice said from directly behind Shepard. "Must you give away my secrets?"

Shepard nearly jumped when the voice breathed lightly on the back of his neck. He shot a glance behind him and saw Tuvok fade back into view, a bored expression upon his face. Shepard began to spin around so he could point his gun straight at Tuvok's face. Tuvok was faster as he grabbed the back of Shepard's armor. Tuvok turned around, spun Shepard into the air and threw him into the ground. Shepard slammed into the ground, breaking several bones as he did and causing the air and blood to be pushed out of his lungs.

Without a backwards glance, he swung his arm behind him. Biotic energy knocked back the team, swatting them away like flies. Jarrod was barely able to keep his footing.

"Damn it, turian!" Jarrod growled. "Watch where you're throwing that thing!"

"Sorry," Tuvok mumbled dully. Shepard coughed as he tried to regain his sense of the world. It was still spinning but Shepard could make out the black shape walking towards him. Shepard felt the turian's claws wrap around his neck. Despite his weak stature, Tuvok was surprisingly strong. With a grip on his neck, Tuvok dragged Shepard across the ground, tightening his hand as he did. Shepard fought against the grip, punching straight into Tuvok's face, but the turian barely noticed.

Tuvok lifted Shepard into the air and slammed him into the wall, pushing him upwards and tightening his grip. Shepard lifted his legs and stomped on Tuvok's face full force. Tuvok seemed to ignore this and continued to squeeze tightly around Shepard's neck. He tried to grab his knife, but Shepard's vision began to dim and his energy began to wane.

Ashley struggled to her feet as her head spun. Glancing around, she saw the rest of the team struggling to their feet. Ashley looked up and saw Shepard pinned to the wall, struggling to be free. She also saw how weak he was getting.

Kaidan got to his feet and looked up at Ashley. Her face was a mixture of anger and horror. The worst combination.

"Ashley! No!" Kaidan shouted but Ashley was gone. She ran forward without care for her safety. She ran towards the turian without fear and without thought. Ashley lifted her assault rifle and prepared to fire wildly into the turians back. Tuvok turned to face her and presented his weapon as he lifted his hand.

Liara felt something pull against her chest and the next thing she knew, she was being pulled towards the turian. Soon, she was floating in front of the turian; her arms locked behind her and fear playing dominance over her face. Ashley froze before she pulled the trigger. Liara began to sweat visibly. Ashley gritted her teeth in frustration. Tuvok looked on without emotion as he wrapped his arm around Liara's neck and caress her cheek…almost affectionately.

Ashley stared into Tuvok's eyes while Liara's terrified gaze reached her own. Horror began to dominate her gaze as Ashley's grip on her rifle began to tremble. Liara's pleading eyes began to tear up as Tuvok's hand slowly caressed her blue cheeks. Ashley could do nothing.

Was she so useless?

Defeated, she collapsed onto the ground on her knees, dropping the gun beside her. Tuvok regarded her for a moment before he turned his attention back to Shepard. He tightened his grip one final time, squeezing the air out of his lungs. Shepard's attempts to escape began to fail as more of his energy faded from him. His vision darkened as his struggling began to end.

Slowly, he began to close his eyes.

As the world faded around him, he thought he saw himself in a large field of some kind. He thought it was a field of white beyond where the eye could see. He thought he couldn't see a horizon and thought that maybe it was because there wasn't any sky or ground. He thought it was just a field of white that stretched on for as long as it had to. He thought he could see this, but he wasn't quite sure.

"Jeez, do you need me to do _everything_ for you?"

What?

Jarrod scoffed as Tuvok squeezed the lie out of Shepard. He would have wanted to kill the human by himself but the turian got him first. Jarrod turned and faced the struggling body of his son. And the human pointing his pistol straight at his face.

Kaidan firmly placed his gun in between Jarrod's eyes as the krogan stared back at him. Behind him, Garrus and Tali joined him, pointing their guns straight at the krogan.

"You're commander is dying," Jarrod told them, grinning. "Shouldn't you do something about it?" Kaidan furrowed his brow in anger, while Garrus and Tali glanced at Shepard. Then they stood stock-still as they stared at what was happening in front of them. Kaidan also dared a glanced and nearly dropped his gun at what he saw. Jarrod looked at them, confused. He looked down and saw that Wrex, himself still a bloody mess, was in shock. Jarrod turned around and looked at where Tuvok was killing Shepard.

His eyes widened in shock.

Around Shepard flowed black-green energy, shooting in all directions and swirling around him. Ashley stared in shock as the wind kicked up around him, blowing sand and dust around in all directions.

Tuvok barely showed a hint of surprise as he stared at the man who he thought was dead shoot energy out from his very pores, burning his hand.

"Well this is interesting," Tuvok said. "I didn't know you were a latent biotic."

The swirling energy quickened.

"Or are you?" Tuvok asked. "No, this isn't your dormant biotic power. This power belongs to someone else."

A form of pure energy emerged from Shepard's head.

"It looks like this power was probably imprinted on in your consciousness by someone when you were younger," Tuvok surmised, his hand steaming.

The form began to condense into an almost human figure.

"They also implanted a bit of their consciousness inside of you, it would seem," Tuvok guessed. "Locking it away in some distant corner of your mind, I'm guessing."

The human figure further condensed into something Ashley recognized immediately.

It was the shape of a young girl. Except she was in flames. The green flames of biotic energy scorched across her body. No, she was made of the flames. She was a girl made of raging, biotic energy that swirled and churned around and within her. The girl seemed to look down at Tuvok with eyes that seemed on fire. Tuvok looked back up with his blood-red eyes.

"And who might you be?" Tuvok asked.

The girl screamed a shrill scream that nearly destroyed Ashley's eardrums. Fire erupted from her mouth, and John screamed along with her. Her fiery claw lifted up and crashed into Tuvok's body, cutting deep into his body and spilling his blood across the ground. Tuvok released Shepard's body and took several steps back, clutching his wounds while looking at the girl without any expression on his face.

Shepard slumped to the ground, landing on his feet and leaning against the wall. The girl looked just as tired as he, her flaming arms drooping downwards.

John could feel his heart beating fast.

"Don't worry, John."

John took a deep breath.

"I'll protect you."

_John was in a room filled with men. He was lying on the ground, in pain. Across from him lay a young girl with red hair and green eyes. She was hugging herself tightly as she could as blood leaked down from her face and from between her-… She was shivering. John wanted to crawl across the room to comfort her but he couldn't move. He pinned to the ground by a man. He couldn't do anything. Couldn't do a thing as the girl looked up at him, bloody covering her face._

_She smiled._

"Don't worry, John."

_She told him like so many times before._

John's heart is beating fast.

"I'll protect you."

_She still had the smile on her face as the swirling, green energy flowed around her._

She was still smiling-

_Don't worry, John._

-still smiling-

_I'll protect you._

John's breath is quickening.

_-smiling-_

"Don't worry John. I'll protect you."

She was still smiling as she died.

"Don't worry John. I'll protect you."

_Still smiling as she died._

"Don't worry John. I'll protect you."

_Still smiling as she_

**DIED.**

smile

**John is screaming now**.

John's hands gripped the sides of his head as he screams at the top of his lungs. Above him, the green, flaming girl throws her hands into the air and screams along with him. He screamed with every emotion known throughout the universe. He screamed in anger; he screamed in sadness; he screamed in joy. His soul was in this scream that echoed throughout the chamber. The green flames swirled around him as the girl screamed her high-pitched shriek.

The flames swirled and churned around the two as they screamed. It was a maelstrom of energy and fields of biotics that whirled around the two. It also burst outwards from the duo, exploding into the walls and the ceiling.

Ashley stared.

Kaidan stared.

Garrus stared.

Wrex stared.

Tali stared.

Liara stared.

Tuvok took one more glance at the screaming duo and turned sharply, trying to hold his insides in. Dripping blood, he used his biotics to grab Jarrod and Dr. Saleon.

"Carry Dr. Saleon," Tuvok told him. "We're getting out of here."

"We're running away?" Jarrod asked, still mesmerized by the sight.

"Unless you'd rather stay and face her," Tuvok told him. Jarrod didn't ask twice as he grabbed the doctor and ran out of the tunnel. Tuvok glanced behind him one last time before he too ran down the tunnel and out of the ruins.

John continued his scream, as did the girl. Ashley gapped in mute disbelief at what was before her.

What exactly was she seeing now? What was happening? Was it really happening?

Without warning, there was a soft boom as the girl disappeared in a flash, leaving John leaning against the wall, though he was no longer screaming. He merely leaned with his back against the wall, and his hands gripping his head tightly. Soon, though, his grip loosened and his hands dropped by his sides.

Liara stared at the sight for a moment. Then she slowly rose to her feet, staggering as she did. She took a step towards Shepard tentatively.

"Commander Shepard?" Liara asked in the meekest voice she could muster. Shepard stirred and looked up at Liara.

She has blue eyes. They're innocent but knowledgeable.

Liara looked past the faceplate and into Shepard's own eyes.

He has blue eyes. They're tough but kind.

Shepard pushed himself up and looked around. The cavern was still rumbling quietly, though it was louder than before. He took one quick look around the room. The trio was long gone. They needed to get out of here.

"On your feet!" Shepard exclaimed. "This place is collapsing around us! Everyone! Move! Move! Move!"

Shepard's loud voice broke through the team's stupor and everyone moved to quickly get up. Wrex needed help from Kaidan, who offered him a brief moment to catch his footing.

Ashley still sat, transfixed, staring at Shepard. Shepard walked over to her and held out her hand.

"On your feet, Williams," Shepard ordered. Ashley stared up at Shepard. Was she scared? She didn't know, but she still took his hand nonetheless. Once on her feet, she followed Shepard as he ran towards the opening. The rumbling was getting louder now and much more violent. They reached the gateway stopped as Shepard surveyed the surroundings.

Rocks collided with the metal railings and platforms in front of him. Plumes of dust clouded his vision.

"Last one out's a dead man!" The commander exclaimed with glee. He turned and motioned everyone to run. Taking the rear, Shepard ran after his team as they continued their way out of the crumbling ruins.

Liara had trouble keeping her footing. The floor seemed to constantly give way. But every time she fell, Shepard was there to pick her back up. Soon, she was running up the cylinder tube that led straight outside. The sunlight hit her face as she ran outside, nearly blinding her but she continued to run straight down the ramp.

She heard a loud boom and she spun around. A large plume of dark dust was forming from the entrance as the dust from inside was expelled to the outside. She continued down the ramp and met up with the other team members, who were all trying to catch their breaths. She looked up and she saw a large ship that she guessed was the Normandy. She started laughing.

"We made it!" she exclaimed. Everyone looked at her. Kaidan started chuckling.

"We made it," he agreed. Everyone else nodded in his or her own way. Liara was ecstatic. She quickly found Shepard walking down the ramp and ran up to him.

"We made it, commander!" Liara nearly yelled. "We made it out, commander!"

She stopped dead in her tracks and the smile fell away from her lips.

Shepard blinked and blood poured from his eyes. His nose was a river of it as were his ears. Liara stared at him. She knew what it was. His use of biotics put too much strain on his brain. It was bursting some of the veins and capillaries.

"Doctor, I think I'm in need of medical assistance," Shepard whispered before he fell forward. His head softly hit Liara's shoulder as he fell. Liara quickly supported Shepard weight with her own strength but she wouldn't last.

"Um, Ms. Williams?" she called out. "Shepard's hurt!"

Ashley spun around and quickly ran over to Shepard, taking him from Liara and setting him on the ground. Kaidan was radioing for immediate Med-Evac and pick up.

The sun slowly began to set in the distance as the Normandy flew out of sight towards the stars.

* * *

Love this chapter. Absolutely loved writing it. It all just flowed out.

If you have any questions about what just happened, email me and I'll try to answer your questions.

Also, look up Tuvok on Wikipedia. He's there. Though, I only found this out like…three days ago. Interesting.

5 in the morning. Tired.

Sleep now.


	23. Chapter 18: The Extinction

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«2.05: _SSV Normandy_: Living Quarters: Mess Hall»

«or The Extinction»

The team sat at the table solemnly, deep in thought and waiting. Ashley was staring at the top of the table while Kaidan was sitting next to her, drinking a glass of water. Ashley watched from the corner of her eye as Kaidan gulped down the entire glassful of water. As he sat the glass back onto the table, Ashley could see that he was nervous. He had enough composure to hide it from the others, but the way he furrowed his brow betrayed the anxiety underneath. Ashley gazed around the table and could see that this was true for everyone there.

Garrus was sitting across from her, examining the eyepiece that he always wore. It was something all C-Sec operatives were required to wear, doubling as a mini-computer and a targeting system. Like an Omni-Tool, but its use was targeted more towards police work than the Omni-Tool was. As he examined the piece, he tapped one of his fingers on the table quietly. He sighed.

"May I?" Tali asked politely and quietly. Garrus handed it to her and she seemed to inspect it carefully, turning it over several times.

"It's completely fried," Garrus said. "The circuitry practically melted from overheating." Tali sighed.

"_All _of our electronics were practically destroyed when…" Tali stopped in her tracks. Garrus looked down at the ground. An awkward silence followed as Tali gave the piece back to Garrus without a word.

Ashley knew what they were thinking about. They were _all_ thinking about it, even if they didn't want to. About…Shepard. About what happened. About that…_thing_. The explosion of power that rocked them to their very cores was still burned inside their minds. Still alive and active, and still replaying over and over. None of them could just 'not' think about it. It was too foreign and too…unknown. There were so many unknown features of this memory, all of which had no answers.

And it looked like they wouldn't be getting answers any time soon.

Wrex stood leaning against the wall, brooding in his own thoughts. Ashley didn't know what was going through his head but she almost lashed out at him when they boarded the Normandy. She still felt like lashing out at him. He had let his emotions get the better of him and nearly compromised the safety of the team in the process. But now wasn't the time for that and it wasn't her place to berate him.

That was the Commander's job and he was still recovering in the Medical Bay. She would have to wait until Shepard was conscious.

Liara sat at the table, deep in thought with her hands on her lap. Ashley thought she seemed extremely tired, with faint dark circles and rings beneath her eyes. Still, she eyed the asari warily. This alien was Benezia's daughter and despite everything she said, Ashley didn't trust her. They were family and family always stuck with each other, even if they didn't stay in touch. Ashley made sure that this asari didn't leave her sight.

Pressly, the navigator was also there, sitting in the chair at the head of the table. He furrowed his brow as he looked at everyone. Finally he broke the silence.

"I know this is a difficult topic," he spoke in a loud tone, catching everyone's attention. "But I need to know what happened down there. I need to tell the Citadel something." Ashley nodded. He was the executive officer, the second in command aboard the Normandy.

"We managed to find the Prothean ruins where Dr. T'Soni was working in," she started. "It was tough but we managed to get there without any major damage."

"For us at least," Wrex said sarcastically. Some of the team chuckled. Ashley did not.

"We located the doctor but she was trapped in some Prothean security system," Kaidan continued. "For the time, she was protected from the geth but we needed to get past the barrier to get to her. We found an old mining laser and we used it to punch a hole beneath the barrier. After that, releasing the doctor was fairly simple. Getting out of the ruins proved…difficult."

"As we were trying to leave, we ran into Tuvok Vyrnnus. The turian biotic we met in the alleyway on the Citadel?" Ashley asked and Pressly nodded. "He had brought a few…friends with him. A krogan who he called Jarrod and a salarian but I didn't catch his name."

"Saleon," Garrus spoke up. "His name is Dr. Saleon. A salarian geneticist wanted by C-Sec for growing and selling body parts on the black market. Though I don't really know why he would work for Saren. He is so engrossed in his 'research' that half the time he's not even sure where he is."

"Okay," Kaidan nodded. "Tuvok was accompanied by Jarrod and Dr. Saleon."

"That was when it all went to hell," Ashley growled. She was about to go on an entire rant about how Wrex was irresponsible and endangered the entire crew, but the krogan surprised her.

"I recognized Jarrod," Wrex said, shifting slightly. "He was a member of my clan. I thought I had killed him but apparently I didn't. I got angry and I let that anger get the best of me. I broke rank and fought against Jarrod. That was when everyone started shooting at each other."

"While Wrex was fighting Jarrod, the rest of the team took cover behind a crane," Kaidan continued. "While we were shooting at the geth, the whole place was coming down. The mining laser had triggered a seismic event. We had to get out of there quickly. So Commander Shepard used the crumbling ruins to his advantage. Liara used her biotics and brought a giant boulder down from the ceiling. With this distraction, we managed to wipe out all of the remaining geth."

"We proceeded to approach Jarrod," Ashley said. "He seemed to have defeated Wrex, giving him many wounds but we managed to surround him while he was distracted. We were about to apprehend him but…" she paused. Kaidan glanced at her.

"Tuvok snuck up on the Commander," Kaidan said. "He had used his biotics to make him literally invisible to the naked eye. I don't know how, but he managed blow all of us away, knocking some of us unconscious. He then defeated the Commander and began to choke him mercilessly. Ashley rushed to try to help the Commander, but Tuvok used his biotics to grab Liara and use her as a shield."

Liara flinched. She could still remember the touch of his cold fingers caressing her cheek, his breath on the nape of her neck, and especially his blood-red eyes seeing into her very being. Before him, she felt naked and vulnerable. She shivered.

"I couldn't do a thing," Ashley muttered to herself. She paused. "…useless…" Her voice came out as nothing more than a whisper.

"That was when…things got…weird," Kaidan explained. The silence was deafening.

"How so?" Pressly asked.

"Something happened to the Commander…to Shepard," Kaidan said slowly. "I thought I was just seeing things. But then I realized that…I wasn't. There was…something coming…_out_ of Shepard."

Pressly looked at him in confusion. Kaidan's face wasn't lying and as he looked at everyone else's face, he could see that he was telling the truth.

"There were…_tendrils_, I guess, of some green things coming out of Shepard's body," Kaidan said slowly. "It was green energy coming out of his body, like the tentacles of an octopus but more…beautiful, I guess, I'm not really sure. More majestic, maybe? Then, the wind started picking up. There was actual wind in a cave. It was so odd. That was around the time that…something formed around Shepard's head."

"Something?" Pressly asked.

"It was a girl," Ashley spoke up. "I was near Shepard at the time. And I saw a little girl; made of the same green energy, form around Shepard's head. She looked like she was on fire…no, she _was_ fire. She looked…almost kind of…_cute_. Until she started screaming."

"Is that what that was?" Garrus asked.

"She was screaming, but not from pain," Ashley continued. "It was from…anger. Rage. Hate. Her scream nearly knocked me back a few dozen feet. It was so powerful. I felt like I was in a storm. A storm of biotic energy was…consuming me."

"Biotic?" Pressly asked, surprised.

"That's what it was," Kaidan explained. "Pure biotic energy was…_leaking_ out of Shepard's body."

"It nearly destroyed the foundations of the ruins," Tali said. "And it fried all of our electronic gear."

"The girl then…tore out a chunk of Tuvok's side," Ashley said. "Tuvok released both Shepard and Liara. Then the storm became a hurricane."

"It blew _everything _away," Garrus said. "Us, the bodies of the geth, rocks, boulders,_ everything_. It was like they were nothing."

"Then the wind subsided and all that was left was Shepard," Kaidan finished. "Tuvok and the others had escaped while we were distracted. Shepard quickly got us out of the ruins just before it collapsed. Then, _he_ collapsed from biotic fatigue."

The hall was filled with the silence, everyone too stunned for words. Garrus began his tapping again after a moment while Kaidan stared at his empty glass.

"I had no idea that Shepard was a biotic," Kaidan muttered.

"He's not," Dr. Chakwas said as she walked out of the Medical Bay. "I've been with him for nearly an entire year and not once did I see any sign that he had _any_ biotic tendencies. No headaches, no fatigues, nothing."

"Well, _obviously_ he is, doctor! He just showed us nearly an hour ago!" Ashley exclaimed.

"Not necessarily," Liara spoke quietly. Everyone turned to face her. "I was closest to Shepard when it happened. I…_felt_ the biotic energy up close and I can tell you that this energy was not his. At least, that's the impression I got from it."

"How do you know this?" Kaidan asked.

"We asari are more attuned to other biotics than most species," Liara explained. "We know that every biotic's energy field is different from one another. More personal. Lieutenant Alenko's biotic energy, for example, is vastly different than my own biotic energy and my energy is different from Wrex's. Each dark energy field generated by a biotic has the user's 'signature,' so to speak. I could tell almost instantly that the energy field generated by the Commander was…not his. It had very faint traces of him on it but it was not entirely his own."

"How can you be sure? This was your first time experiencing it," Garrus stated.

"It's an instinctive feeling, really," Liara told him. "Each being gives off a special 'aura' that we asari can sense, due to our heightened nervous system. An aura is generally a combination of an individual's memories, emotions and feelings combined into one. It is that individual's being. After spending some time with the Commander, I could feel his aura and I know that most of the biotic energy that came from him did not have his aura."

"Do you know why his…or the biotic energy that came from him was green? I thought most biotic energy was more blue," Tali asked.

"It is extremely rare that an individual's biotic energy could change color but it is not unheard of," Liara answered. "An individual's aura is a mixture of that individual's memories and emotions. When we use our biotic energies, we feed it with our aura. So in this way, we feed our biotic energy our emotions that stem from the memories. Some memories are so intense or traumatic that they stay with the individual for a long time. We all attribute our memories to a specific emotion so as such, this intense emotion that comes from the strong memory can taint the biotic energy's color."

"Basically, if a person's aura is filled with an intense memory, it can change the color of the biotic energy," Kaidan clarified as Liara nodded.

"So, why green?" Ashley asked.

"The color will only make sense to the individual," Liara said. "We often attribute the emotion of anger to the color red but sometimes it can come up as the brightest yellow. It is not just emotion that can come through it is also the memory. Maybe the color means something special to that memory, I am not sure. But what I do know is that Shepard's biotic energy is not entirely his own. I do not know how that's possible but some how, it is."

Ashley crossed her arms and sighed. This was getting nowhere.

"So how's the Commander?" Kaidan asked.

"He's still unconscious, but he should be fine, for now," Dr. Chakwas said, leaning against the wall. "His head was hemorrhaging blood when he came aboard. I managed to stop the bleeding but his brain took a beating, though it's not as bad as it seems. Surprisingly, it doesn't seem to be in too bad a condition. But he won't be awake anytime soon, there's too much stress on his brain at the moment.

"Says you," came a gruff voice behind her. She spun around and gasped. Everyone nearly fell out of his or her chair.

Shepard was awake.

"Where the hell's my shirt?" Shepard grumbled as he took a sip of water. He was leaning against the wall, looking around nonchalantly. His other hand was stretched out across the doorway, in a relaxed way.

"You should not be up!" Chakwas ordered. "You need rest or you'll collapse at any moment! You're putting too much strain on your body!"

Ashley just stared as she stood up. Shepard's muscles were toned nearly to perfection. He was not big, however, as he was surprisingly thin. This wasn't what surprised her though. It was the scars. His body was riddled with them, in all shapes and sizes. Some were knife cuts or stabs, while other were bullet wounds. There were even some burn marks. She had never seen so many scars on a single person before.

"I'll rest later," Shepard told her. "I know my body's limits. Hell, I've been living with it for nearly 30 years. I know every inch of what my body can and cannot do. Like the back of my hand."

Shepard glanced at the back of his outstretched hand. He peered closer for a moment.

"That's new," Shepard muttered. He shook his head and continued. "Besides, I won't be up for long. I just need a few minutes with my crew to talk about the mission. I'll meet you all in the comm. room upstairs in a few minutes."

"But sir-" Ashley started.

"That's an order," Shepard's voice was suddenly cold. His glare shot through her body. Ashley pressed her lips together and saluted.

"Aye aye, sir," she said quietly before walking off. Everyone else looked at each other awkwardly and walked upstairs. Shepard watched them leave.

"Commander, you need-" Chakwas tried to speak but Shepard cut her off with a stare. She sighed, knowing that she wouldn't get through to him.

"I don't appreciate it when you all talk about me behind my back," Shepard said quietly but threateningly after everyone left.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I had to," Pressly told him. "I needed to fill out the report you need to send to the Citadel and I needed all the facts. Besides, they were all just confused and scared. It's not everyday that they come across…whatever it was they came across."

"Ain't that nice," Shepard grumbled. "I don't need my crew to be scared of me."

"I know, but they are," Pressly replied. "You should talk to them about it."

"How can I do that when I don't even know what happened?" Shepard asked him. "There's nothing to talk about and nothing they need to know. They're tough. They'll get over it."

Pressly sighed. Shepard could be so stubborn at times.

"Now about the report. Can't you twist the truth a little?" Shepard asked. "You know, like how we explained how Commander Paris died on Elysium."

"I'm not writing 'shit happens' on a report to the council, Commander," Pressly said firmly. "They need the truth."

Shepard sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"Fine, do what you want," Shepard said. "Just leave out the part about Wrex."

"How he broke rank to fight Jarrod?" Pressly asked.

"Yeah," Shepard said, walking towards his room. "There's something personal going on there. The council doesn't need to know about it."

"Very well, sir," Pressly said. As Shepard stopped in his tracks with his back still towards him, Pressly paused and winced inwardly.

Across Shepard's back were several lines of deep scars. They were etched into his finely toned back muscles and along his spine like deep valleys on a geographical map. They looked like some wild beast had driven its claws across his body several times. Pressly had seen them once before and secretly hoped he would never see them again. He couldn't even imagine what kind of pain Shepard had gone through to get those horrible lines.

"Take a break, Pressly," Shepard told him over his shoulder, waving a hand in the air. "I won't know where to go until later."

"Yes sir," Pressly nodded as he got up to go back towards the Combat Information Center. Shepard went to go find a suitable shirt. As he did, he flinched slightly as the shirt touched his back. Sighing to himself, he hurriedly pulled it over his head and straightened it. He still flinched sometimes when something touched his back. Not because of the pain, though.

He knew old habits died hard.

\::/::\::/::\::/

When Shepard walked into the Comm. Room, his team was already seated in the chairs that ringed the room. He made sure he made eye contact with everyone as he walked in, giving them all a reassuring smile. They needed to know that their leader was still on his feet and active. They needed to know that they could trust him.

Shepard walked towards the railing that went around the room and leaned against it, arms folded across his chest.

"You awake now, Commander?" Joker's voice came over the intercom.

"More or less," Shepard replied.

"Well, I'm glad to see that _you're_ okay," Joker's sarcasm was palpable. "Oh! And the next time you go off to save somebody, make sure they're not underground or anything. Because chances are, those caves are near the lava of the planet's crust. And as far as I'm aware of, nothing can survive within an active volcano. Not even the Normandy. The magma inside tends to fry our sensors and melt our hull! And they also tend to turn people into burnt cinders! Now, I know you're smarter than most people and you're probably not listening anymore which would make my rant pretty pointless but then again, you're the winner of the Star of Terra! You're now practically the warrior of the Alliance and humanity! So, as most super humans have, you must have some kind of sixth ancient warrior sense that allows you to just plain _know_ what's going on around you even when you're asleep. On that note, you're probably hearing this on a subconscious level, so I should just end this rant right here by saying that the Normandy is not meant to land in molten volcanoes, for future reference of course."

"Joker, quick question," Shepard asked.

"Yes, sir?"

"Do you think I need a haircut?" Shepard asked him, patting his short hair and tilting his head thoughtfully. There was a pause on the intercom.

"No, sir, I don't think you do," Joker's voice was barely a mumble.

"Okay, if you say so," Shepard smiled to himself. Some of the others also smiled along with him. Except Liara, who was just confused by the entire conversation.

"We…we almost died," Liara stated. "So your pilot makes jokes?"

"Pretty much," Shepard told her, shrugging his shoulders. Liara stared at him mouth slightly agape. "It's fun!"

"I…see," Liara said slowly, brushing her hands across her lap. "It must be a human thing. As you can tell, I don't have a lot of experience dealing with your species, Commander. But I am grateful to you. You saved my life back there and not just from the volcano. Those…geth would have killed me or dragged me off to Saren."

Shepard noticed her hesitance. She was going to mention Tuvok and his gang but deliberately avoided it. Shepard mused over what this meant while he listened.

"What did Saren want with you?" Kaidan asked her. "Do you know anything about the Conduit, by any chance?"

"Only that it was somehow connected to the Prothean extinction," Liara replied. "That is my real area of expertise. I have spent the last 50 years trying the figure out what happened to them."

Shepard cocked an eyebrow.

"Just…how old are you, exactly?" Shepard asked.

"I hate to admit it but I am only 106," Liara answered hesitantly.

"Only 106, she says," Shepard said aloud, mainly in shock.

"Damn!" Ashley exclaimed. "I hope _I_ look that good when I'm your age!"

"Doubt it," Shepard replied. "Considering the fact that we humans wrinkle up as we get older, you'll probably look like Wrex when you're her age."

"Ha and indeed, ha, Commander," Ashley rolled her eyes, but smiled softly. "Don't quit your day job there, sir."

Ashley could see what Shepard was doing and some part of her felt happy for him. He was trying to get everyone to relax despite what happened, which was what a leader should always do. But in doing so, he was ignoring what happened. But still, she was happy for Shepard.

"A century may seem like a long time for a short lived species like yours," Liara admitted. "But among the asari, I am barely considered more than a child. That is why my research has not received the attention it deserves. Because of my youth, other asari scholars tend to…'dismiss' my theories on what happened to the Protheans."

"And what did your research turn up, exactly?" Shepard asked her, slightly curious.

"What is more interesting is what I did _not_ turn up," Liara explained. "There is remarkably little archaeological evidence of the Protheans and even less that might explain why they disappeared. It is almost as if someone did not want the mystery solved. It is like someone came along after the Protheans were gone and cleansed the galaxy of clues."

_______War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death_-

"Or something," Shepard muttered, rubbing the growing stubble of hair on his chin.

"But here is the incredible part," Liara went on, sounding increasingly excited. "According to my findings, the Protheans were not the first galactic civilization to mysteriously vanish. This cycle began long before them."

"And this civilization that came before them?" Garrus asked. "What about them? Who were they?"

"I don't know," Liara said sadly. "There is barely any evidence on the Protheans. Even less on those that came before them. I cannot prove my theory but I know that I am right!" Liara clenched her fists.

Shepard almost smiled. This girl was interesting.

"The galaxy is built on a galaxy of extinction," Liara continued. "Each time a great civilization rises up, it is suddenly and violently cast down. Only ruins survive. The Protheans rose up from a single world until their empire spanned the entire galaxy, yet even they climbed to the top on the remains of those who came before. Their greatest achievements, the Mass Relays, and the Citadel, are based on the technology of those who came before them. And then, like all the other forgotten civilizations throughout history, the Protheans disappeared. I have dedicated my life to figuring out why."

Shepard paused for a moment before he spoke.

"I believe that they were destroyed by a race of sentient machines called the Reapers," Shepard told her. Liara stared at him for the longest time.

"The…the Reapers?" Liara said slowly. "But I have never-. How do you know this? What evidence do you have?"

"Calm down, missy," Shepard raised his hands in defense. "There was a Prothean beacon on Eden Prime that decided it would be a good idea to do the whole Vulcan mind rape thingy. It burned a vision into my mind, but its…chaotic. I can't make any sense from it."

"A beacon? Visions?" Liara said, rubbing chin thoughtfully. Shepard nearly jumped when she exclaimed, "Yes! That makes sense! The beacons were designed to transmit images directly into the mind of the user! Finding one that still works is extremely rare. No wonder the geth attacked Eden Prime! The chance to acquire a Prothean beacon, even a badly damaged one, is worth almost any risk. But the beacons were only programmed to interact with Prothean physiology. Whatever information you received would have been confused. Unclear.

"Well, you got that right," Shepard said.

"I am…amazed you were able to make sense of it at all," Liara said, almost wonderingly. "A lesser mind would have been utterly destroyed in the process. You must be remarkably strong willed, Commander."

"Okay, this isn't helping us find Saren, _or_ the Conduit," Ashley interrupted, almost angrily.

"Of course, you're right," Liara nodded her head slightly. "I am sorry, my scientific curiosity got the better of me. Unfortunately, I do not have any information about Saren or the Conduit."

Shepard sighed. It seemed that they had gotten nowhere at all. They still didn't know what the Conduit was or why Saren was looking for it. They had battled through the lava, went underground, nearly died at the hands of those working for Saren and they had nothing to show for it. Shepard looked at Liara.

Well, he thought they had something to show for it.

"I don't know what Saren wanted you for," Shepard said. "But I think we'll be better off if we brought you along. Plus, you'll be safer."

Liara looked at Shepard for a moment. Was he asking her to join him? Should she? If it were true that Saren was after her, wouldn't she just be a burden upon Shepard and the team? She couldn't join them if she would just get in their way. However, the way Shepard looked at her eased her doubts. The look said so many things to her. But the one that called to her was that she would be just fine. So, she stood up as she answered.

"Thank you, Commander," Liara said. "Saren might come after me again and I cannot think of anywhere safer than on your ship. And my knowledge of the Protheans might be useful later on."

"And your biotics will come in handy when the fighting starts," Wrex commented as he leaned back.

"Does everything revolve around fighting with you, Wrex?" Garrus asked.

"Of course!" Shepard answered. "That's the best part of the job!"

Liara couldn't hear for a brief moment. Black snow filled her vision and her head was filled with a sense of dizziness. She felt herself stumble and she would have fallen if a pair of firm hands had not grabbed her shoulders to steady her. As her vision cleared she looked up and stared into a pair of blue eyes. They were Shepard's.

"Are you alright?" Shepard asked her, face full of concern. Liara's cheeks reddened as she forced herself back on her own two feet.

"I…am afraid I am feeling a bit light headed," Liara told him, trying to hide her face without looking like she was hiding her face.

"When was the last time you ate? Or slept?" Kaidan asked as he stood up. "Dr. Chakwas should take a look at you."

"It is probably just…mental exhaustion," Liara said, still trying to hide her blush. She couldn't tell if it worked. And his eyes were still on her. "Coupled with the shock of discovering the Prothean's true fate."

"Yeah, I'll bet," Ashley muttered angrily.

"You say something, Williams?" Shepard asked.

"No, sir," Ashley lied. Shepard looked at her for a moment, then accepted it.

"I need some time to process all this," Liara stammered. "Still it couldn't hurt to be examined by a medical professional. It will give me the chance to…think things over." Shepard nodded.

"Looks like we're done here," Shepard announced. "Dismissed."

As everyone began filing out, Joker spoke to him over the intercom.

"Mission reports are filed, Commander," Joker told him. "You want me to patch you through to the Council?"

"Sure," Shepard said. "Why not?"

"Setting up the link now, Commander," Joker said. Shepard turned towards the Comm. Station and soon, three orange, holographic images of the three council members appeared before him.

"We've received your report, Commander," the asari councilor said. "I understand Dr. T'Soni is on the Normandy."

"I assume you're taking the necessary security precautions," the turian councilor said smugly.

"With all due respect, I don't think Liara is the kind of person that would betray people," Shepard told them. "She seems to like studying rocks more than talking to people. Besides, Tuvok and his troupe were trying to capture her."

"Benezia would _never_ allow Saren to harm her daughter," the asari councilor said.

"Maybe she doesn't know," the salarian councilor suggested.

"Or maybe we don't know her," the turian councilor said. "We never expected she could become a traitor."

"At least the mission was a success," the salarian councilor said.

"Apart from the destruction of a major Prothean ruin," the turian councilor said angrily. "Was that really necessary, Shepard?"

"No, not really," Shepard told him, slightly annoyed. "But it was the only choice I had at the time."

"Of course, Commander," the salarian councilor agreed. "The mission must always take priority."

"I want to talk to you about the two other members that were with Tuvok," the asari councilor said. "Jarrod and Dr. Saleon. What do you know about him?"

"Tuvok referred to Jarrod as a Warlord," Shepard said. "I'm guessing he was a krogan of some high stature back during the Krogan Rebellions. Apparently, he's also a biotic, which could be a problem. As for Dr. Saleon, you'll probably find more information on him at the C-Sec Academy."

"Yes, we're looking into that as we speak," the turian councilor told him. "We'll forward the information to your ship once we've gathered enough data."

"Also, Commander," the asari continued. "We were not aware that you are a biotic."

Shepard blinked.

"Well, it's news to me as well," Shepard told them. "Don't really know much about it."

"Are you saying you don't know your own ability?" the salarian councilor asked incredulously.

"Not really what I said but yeah," Shepard said. "I always black out whenever this supposed biotic power surfaces. But don't worry, it's not a problem."

"Make sure that it isn't," the turian councilor said sharply. Shepard glared at him heatedly.

"Good luck, Commander," the asari councilor said. "We're all counting on you."

They flickered and disappeared, leaving Shepard alone in the room. He stared at the wall for a moment. He furrowed his brow in annoyance and rubbed his temples. He was not looking forward to this.

"Can I help you with something, Williams?" he said without looking. Ashley looked at his back for a moment before stepping forward.

"Sir, I…I have some questions," Ashley said. Shepard sighed as he turned to face her.

"Yeah, I thought you might," Shepard said. "I'd hoped you let it go but I guess you're too damn curious to let it go. I guess the others are curious too."

"I'm sorry, sir," Ashley said. "I don't mean to pry-"

"Yes, you do," Shepard said quickly, slightly agitated. "That's why you're going to ask me these questions. Because you're curious and you want answers. All right, fine. Ask away." He sat down in one of the chairs and leaned back while propping a leg on his other one.

Ashley pressed her lips together before taking a seat. This wasn't starting out well.

"I want to ask you about…your ability," Ashley said slowly.

"What about it?" Shepard asked. Ashley frowned. She didn't really know where to go from there.

"Did you mean what you said to the Council? That you always black out when this happens?" Ashley asked him.

"Yup," Shepard replied. Ashley waited for him to continue. Shepard merely waited.

"Well, is this the first time this happened?" Ashley asked.

"The blacking-out?" Shepard said. "No, _that_ usually always happens during shore leave."

"That's not what I meant," Ashley told him.

"I know," Shepard replied. Ashley was starting to get annoyed by his dodging the questions. She was also annoyed by the fact that he was toying with her. But as he looked at Shepard, she realized that she was probably not going to get anywhere now. She stood up.

"I'm sorry I wasted your time, sir," she saluted and began to walk out.

"No, this is not the first time this happened. No, I don't know what it is. And no, I don't want to find out what it is," Shepard called after her. She looked at him as he relaxed deeper into the chair, placing his hands behind his head. He was staring at the wall but Ashley could tell he wasn't really looking. "Does that answer your questions?"

"No, not really," Ashley replied.

"That's too bad, because I can't say anything else," Shepard told her. "I don't really have the answers your looking for. It always seems to come out whenever I'm near death, so I don't really remember much about it."

Ashley paused for a moment as she processed this information. Then she nodded.

"I guess I'll have to accept that, skipper," Ashley told him. He looked over at her and their eyes locked on each other. They stared at each other for a moment.

"Did I scare you?" Shepard asked quietly. Ashley stiffened.

"No," she told him.

A brief flash of pain crossed his face and was gone before it appeared. Shepard stood up and walked towards the door. As it opened for him, he stopped.

"For future reference," Shepard said quietly. "Don't lie to me. Because I'll know." And he was gone.

Ashley stood in her tracks, too stunned to move. Her face contorted into a snarl and she angrily kicked a nearby chair, causing it to spin violently.

"Dammit!" Ashley exclaimed quietly.

That wasn't how it was supposed to go.

She sat down wearily and rested her head on her hand sadly.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Tuvok rested quietly as Dr. Saleon mended his torn side. Saren watched this, musing silently at what his friend told him before he blacked out. He sniffed and walked out of the room. Outside, he looked over and saw Benezia gazing out the window at the stars that shifted as the ship moved. Beside her stood two-asari commandos, guns ready for anything. Saren approached her quietly, stopping just short of the commandos.

"Shepard has Liara," Saren told her. "No doubt she'll join his cause."

Benezia was quiet for a time.

"I see," she finally said quietly.

"Know this," Saren warned her. "If I or any of my team come across her, they will kill her. Her knowledge of the Protheans would have helped us but the only reason I sent Tuvok after was because you asked me to. Now she is an enemy and will be treated as such. Do you understand?"

Benezia continued to gaze outside the window for a moment.

"I understand," she said even quieter than the first time. Saren nodded and turned away, leaving Benezia to her thoughts.

* * *

This one is just expositions and a lot of talking. Still, I like it, even though it's practically copying word for word what the game was talking about.

That whole aura talk reminds me of Paulo Coelho and his whole philosophy shpeel. If you don't know who he is, he is currently the best-selling author in the world if Wikipedia is to be believed. I read his book called The Alchemist and I was just amazed by it. I felt so…warm inside when I read it. Now if you know me, being able to feel any warmth at all is miraculous.

I'm dead inside.

Also, apparently Tuvok is a Vulcan on Star Trek: Voyager. I swear, I had no idea about him when I created the character. It was pure coincidence. Don't believe me? Type in Tuvok on Wikipedia.

Next one will be an Extra. I need a break from the main story for a while to develop characters.


	24. Extra: Funeral for a Friend

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«Extra: Exodus Cluster: Utopia System: Eden Prime: St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery»

«or Funeral for a Friend»

The sun caressed the countryside as the wind blew through the grass, bending lightly with the current. The boughs of a nearby tree creaked silently as the wind stroked the leaves, attempting to pull them away. The tree tried to cling desperately to the leaf, but it broke free and glided upon the wind, floating freely upon air, shifting this way and that. Soon, however, the wind died and the leaf fell silently to the ground, soon to be trampled on and soon to wither and die.

Shepard didn't notice the leaf as he stood at attention. He was wearing his formal attire and his hat that shaded his eyes from the sun. He stood upright, chest out and chin up but eyes down. He felt nothing about why he was here at the funeral for Corporal Richard L. Jenkins.

He stood with other members of the Systems Alliance, all dressed in the blue formal attire that was required for funerals. To his right stood Ashley, dressed in her formal dress. She was trying her best not to fidget and for the most part, it was working. Kaidan stood to his left just as rigidly and stoically as Shepard. These were the only members of his team that were allowed to come. No aliens allowed. Alliance military only. Shepard couldn't help but see how close it was to the old childish restrictions against girls the boys made when they constructed their clubhouses. But he could see why they made it this way. A turian at an Alliance funeral could cause…complications.

They all stood near the civilians, who sat in their chairs. Members of Jenkins' family and friends sat, dressed in black, some crying silently, some loudly, and others making no noises at all. The reasons why were their own. Looking over the crowd and through the solemn air, Shepard could make out some familiar faces. Dr. Warren was sitting near the back with Manuel, who was rocking back and forth, muttering to himself but thankfully, not making any noises at all. Dr. Warren was probably her to make herself feel better and she had dragged Manuel along with her. Shepard didn't hold it against her, though.

Shepard also saw Cole, Blake and…Maddie Jenkins, the dead corporal's mother. They were seated up at the front, closest to where the casket would eventually go. Maddie was a mess, crying silently into her handkerchief. Cole was nearby, holding her hand gently, but gazing forward. Blake sat next to him, also gazing forward. Next to Maddie sat a man who seemed to be her husband, his arm draped around her shoulders, eyes closed and leaning gently against her head. Beside him sat a small, 5 year old girl that seemed oblivious as to where she was, but was smart enough to feel the atmosphere and knew better than to ask questions. She sat silently as looked at the rectangular hole in the ground. If she knew that she was staring at the place where her older brother would reside for all eternity, she didn't show it.

Oddly enough, Shepard also saw Powell, though in the far back, almost by himself. Like Dr. Warren, he was probably there to make himself feel better and like Dr. Warren, Shepard didn't really care. He realized that the reason he was gazing around at everyone was because he wanted to kill time. Was he bored? No, you can never be bored at a funeral. Did he have better things to do? Nothing is more important than a funeral for a teammate. Did he just want to leave?

That was probably it.

Ashley didn't know Jenkins, having never met him before. But thanks to his death, she now held a place aboard the Normandy, the best ship in the Alliance fleet under the command of possibly the most renowned human in the universe. Good news for one person usually meant bad news for another.

As she gazed at the people around her, she couldn't help but marvel at the power of a funeral. Despite its depressing nature, it was able to bring people closer together. She had been to many funerals before and she always saw this at every one of them. Funerals purified the body and strengthened bonds among people.

Too bad that it came at a terrible price.

"Atten-hut!"

Without thinking, Ashley's body stood rigid and firm. Hands by her side and legs tight together, her eyes shot forward. She watched stoically as a casket draped in the flag of the Alliance was brought forth, carried upon the shoulders of eight soldiers, lifting the casket up using their strength.

If they were tired, their faces didn't show it. Years of hard training had taught them to manage their emotions. Never show civilians that you're tired, for it would convey weakness. It takes away the supposed…divinity of the Alliance military. They were always depicted as always rising above the call and beyond the call of duty. The military was _always_ above the needs of mere humans.

The group of eight carried the casket slowly and regimentally. Each step was calculated and in time with everyone else. Ashley couldn't help but think of how much they looked like machines, stepping together. It was uncanny how they were fighting against a legion of machines when organics often acted like machines as well. She didn't dwell much on it.

The men walked up towards the grave and paused for a few seconds. Then, machine-like, they slowly brought the casket down to the ground. Gently, they placed the casket onto the platform that would lower it to the ground. Then, they stood up quickly; clicking there heels together and hands to their sides. Keep up the appearances.

Maddie started bawling when her eyes fell upon the casket. She had seen it before back at the church. They had performed the viewing and everyone had said their goodbyes. It was open-casket, and despite the scar across his cheek where the bullet had torn through, everyone paid his or her respects. But Shepard knew that you couldn't just ask a mother, who had raised their child since before they were born, to just say goodbye to their child. Just like that. So she cried her eyes out and the people around her tried their best to comfort her. Even her young daughter was worried for her, though she didn't truly understand why she cried so. But this wasn't a pain that could be comforted with a reassuring touch and kind words. Only time was on her side, now.

A row of seven soldiers in uniform marched forward, carrying with them those old, 20th century rifles on their shoulders. Stopping in unison, they relieved their shoulders of those old relics, and each cocked their rifles, loading those massive bullets. A man came out, carrying beneath his arm another relic from the 20th. This was a golden bugle that now seemed oddly foreign to Ashley when she looked at it.

The bugler shouted a command and the seven soldiers brought their rifles to their eyes, aiming at the sky. Maddie stared at the seven soldiers through bleary eyes. As she watched, memories raced through her mind, unbidden but comforting.

The first volley fired.

_She remembered the day she was born, his eyes so wide. The moment they met each other's eyes, she could see recognition. The little Richard Jenkins knew that the woman who was now holding him in her arms was his mother. She had smiled so hard that day. Her cheeks were burning when she went to sleep that day. Her husband had been so happy. The galaxy had laid its eyes upon her first-born son._

The second volley fired.

_She felt him fall before she heard him cry. She was always running out of the house before he had opened his mouth to scream. She was with him the moment the fear set into his body. She was wiping the tears away, giving him a reassuring smile the entire time. It was all right. She was there with him. She would always pick him up when he fell. Always kiss away the pain._

The third volley fired.

_Richard had told her how she wanted to become a marine and join the Alliance military. She had smiled that day but fear gripped her heart. She could no longer be there to pick him up when he fell. He was on his own. Still, she smiled as wide as she could. Richard did not need to be looked after anymore. He was a grown man, now. He could look after himself. But whenever he needed a shoulder to cry on, she made sure that there was always room on his shoulders._

Out of the bugle, came a loud, mournful tune. After nearly three centuries, this same tune would always be played at the funerals of the valiant and the brave. It called to the hearts of those who listened. It's mournful call grabbed your attention as if it was made specifically to be heard by all.

As she listened, Ashley's mind fell silent as her hand shot to her forehead, in the final salute for Corporal Richard L. Jenkins. Beside her, Shepard saluted as well, as did every soldier in the area. For that one moment, they were showing their deepest respect and sorrow for the loss of one of their own. It reminded them all for where they all go eventually. Ashley knew this in her heart but she was also called to live it as best as she could. To leave her mark on this galaxy before she left.

Soon, the bugle's call ended and slowly, the soldiers of the Alliance brought their hands back down to their sides. Slowly and rigidly, they put forth as much emotion into that one movement as possible before it ended. But it did end and they stood at attention in respect.

The eight soldiers that surrounded the casket all turned sharply inwards, facing the casket. They all held an end of the Alliance flag that draped the casket and brought it sharply upwards, causing the flag to snap in their hands. Slowly and methodically, the eight men folded the Alliance flag multiple times. The process was slow and methodical, trained into the muscles of every soldier in the Alliance.

Soon enough, though, the flag was folded into the triangular shape that is customary. In the center of the triangle was the picture of Earth, humanity's home world. When looked upon, it reminded everyone what he or she is fighting for and what they died for. It was supposed to be comforting.

One of the eight soldiers held the folded flag reverently as he turned towards Maddie, who had calmed down enough to look up at the soldier. Respectfully, the soldier bent down and placed the flag, with the picture of Earth facing her, in her waiting hands.

Shepard knew the words that left his mouth afterwards. He had to give the same words to someone's mother once. Or was it child? Shepard didn't remember. All he remembered were the words he spoke, in hopes that they would take comfort from them.

"As a representative of the Systems Alliance, it is my high privilege to present you this flag. Let it be a symbol of the grateful appreciation humanity feels for the distinguished service rendered to our planet and our flag by your loved one."

Shepard wasn't aware that he spoke the words aloud to himself. Ashley heard his emotionless voice speak these words as well. She felt…overwhelmed. Maddie was as well. She took the flag gratefully and hugged it tightly to her chest. She closed her eyes tightly, squeezing the remaining tears out of her eyes. The young girl peered over curiously. She wanted to see the flag.

After the eight soldiers walked away from the grave, the wooden casket was lowered into the grave. The civilians stood up in reverence and watched as the sun faded from the top of the casket, Richard L. Jenkins' last look at the sun. The box touched the bottom with a soft clunk. Shepard saw Maddie flinch at the sound.

Soon enough, the workers picked up their shovels and did what they were paid to do. Sweating slightly, they each dumped clumps of dirt into the grave. They did not really care who was being buried but they had enough sense to not complain about it. They did not want to be yelled at for doing their jobs, so they kept their silence.

The young daughter of Maddie Jenkins and sister of Richard L. Jenkins, however, did not.

"Mommy, is Ricky inside that box?" the young girl asked. Maddie didn't answer at first.

"Yes, Jenny," Maddie whispered to her, putting up her bravest smile. She reached over and took young Jenny's hand. She held her close to her tightly. "Ricky is asleep inside." Jenny peered up at her mother. Slowly, an inkling of realization crept slowly into her mind but she was too young to comprehend it.

"Will he wake up soon?" Jenny asked her mother. "I want to play with him!"

Maddie's smile quivered.

"No, Jenny," she told her slowly. "Ricky can't ever wake up again."

"Well, that's no good!" Jenny exclaimed. "He needs to wake up! He's going to be a hero of the Alliance! He told me he would!" The realization was growing inside her but she still couldn't understand what it meant. Or maybe she refused to accept it.

"Please Jennifer!" Maddie exclaimed, her smile fading fast. She quickly composed herself. "Ricky needs to sleep."

"Jennifer," Maddie's husband and Jenny's father knelt down beside them and tried to calm them both down.

"Ricky could wake up soon!" Jenny exclaimed, pulling at the fabric of her parent's clothing. "They need to stop dumping that mud on him! He'll wake up soon! He needs to become an Alliance hero like he promised!"

The men with shovels did their best to ignore her, as did everyone else.

"Jennifer," Maddie's voice cracked as she tried to comfort her daughter. But she couldn't. She ended up clutching her to her body as tightly as she could. She could feel the trembling of young Jenny's body as the realization coursed through her body. She understood now. And she didn't like it.

"Ricky was supposed to be like Commander Shepard!" Jenny sobbed.

Shepard straightened sharply.

"Ricky told me!" Jenny wailed. "He said that he would be the next Commander Shepard! He said he would save people's lives! That he would be a hero! How can he do that if he's asleep? How can he become like Commander Shepard if he's asleep! How, mommy? How!"

Everyone else had gone. The sun was nearly set and the grave was completely filled up. Now all that remained was a few extra chairs lying around and the Jenkins family. And Shepard.

Shepard stood with them as they gazed upon the grave of Richard L. Jenkins. They didn't speak to each other because they had already talked to each other before the funeral. Shepard had paid his respects and his deepest apologies for their loss. The family had asked questions about the mission. They also asked the question every parent wants to know.

Was it painful?

And of course, Shepard twisted the truth as best he could.

Now, they just stood before the grave, reflecting over their lives. Ashley and Kaidan watched all of this with admiration. Shepard, the veteran war hero, could still feel pain. He could still grieve. At least, this is what they assumed he was doing.

Ashley watched carefully while respectfully keeping her distance. She knew that Shepard was hurt by Jenny's comments. He couldn't hide that from her now, no matter how hard he tried. So now, she watched as he stood next to tiny Jenny.

She watched as Jenny looked up at Shepard, showing full well the difference in size. The small girl knew exactly it was that was standing next to her. Ricky had told her much of him. Ashley almost chuckled as Jenny grabbed Shepard's hand and pulled him along forcefully. Shepard eyes were wide with surprise and consternation. But when a child pulled you to a destination, you had no choice but to obey.

The parents watched carefully along with Ashley and Kaidan as the two walked towards them. Together, the four watched as Jenny forced Shepard to pick a patch of flowers that were growing nearby. The four couldn't help but laugh as the two grabbed at the plants, the tiny being ordering the great soldier to do so. It was almost comical.

Soon, Jenny pulled Shepard along back towards the grave. Shepard at this time had altogether given up on trying to resist. With all the flowers in her one hand, she ran up to Richard's grave and quickly turned around and handed Shepard some flowers. Shepard stared at them for a moment and at Jenny's insistence, took them.

Jenny then ran up to Maddie and handed her some more flowers. She did the same for her father. She ran up to Ashley and after a moment, she handed her flowers as well. Ashley smiled warmly and took them reverently. Kaidan did the same.

She then ran to stand between Shepard and Maddie and they stood in a line in front of Corporal Richard L. Jenkins' grave: Shepard, then Jenny, Maddie, her husband, Ashley and Kaidan.

"On the count of three, okay?" Jenny stated, forgetting to explain what they needed to do. "One, two, THREE!" On the third count, she tossed her flowers into the air and watched as they swirled in the air. The others watched as they danced and twirled through the breeze, falling slowly to the ground and resting upon the grave.

Maddie smiled in admiration and with a breath, she tossed her flowers into the air. Her husband followed her. They hugged each other closely as they watched the flowers flow through the wind.

Ashley smiled softly and tossed her small bundle as well, followed by Kaidan. Shepard watched them as he pondered his flowers. Jenny looked up at him questioningly as Shepard continued to examine his flowers. Growing impatient, Jenny kicked Shepard hard in the shins, nearly knocking Shepard over and causing him to shout in surprise and pain.

"Jenny!" Maddie scolded.

"It's okay!" Shepard told her. "I was stalling. I deserved that." Shepard frowned jokingly at Jenny and looked at his flowers. Smiling his small and distant smile, he tossed his flowers into the air and watched them float down to the ground. Jenny nodded, quickly turned around and marched away. Maddie and her husband watched her go.

"I think that's our cue to leave," Shepard told them. The two civilians looked over at him and nodded. Slowly, with a last glance at the grave, they turned and followed Jenny away. The three soldiers watched them go for a moment.

"We have to go too," Kaidan commented.

Shepard looked over at Ashley who nodded. Shepard nodded, took another look at Richard's resting place and walked away, his teammates following closely behind.

The sun set upon the grave, promising to warm it up tomorrow. The leaf that had fallen upon the ground was soon picked up by the wind and flowed out towards the setting sun, having never been trampled on or withered away.

* * *

The wind and the tree at the beginning are supposed to be symbolic. I know what it means, but what it means to you will probably be different. Share what you think it means if you want.

This is about as close as I can get to an actual military funeral. Any discrepancies that are found can be explained by the following explanation:

"It's the freakin' 22nd century! Things are bound to change in that time!"

Though, in all honesty, I don't mean any offense to those that might take offense to any of this, be it religiously or politically. So I apologize beforehand if this is true for you.

I am not trying to say anything in particular in this chapter. If you think I'm trying to say something, that's all you. That's your interpretation. If you'd like, you can tell me what you think.

Funerals are never fun. They are specifically designed for everyone to cry in my opinion. But it's good to cry at times. Gets all that negative energy out. You feel…refreshed after a good cry.

I've only been to one funeral in my life and it was for my uncle. He died of a heart attack so it was extremely sudden and unexpected. I didn't really feel much for my uncle, though. In my entire life, I only remember saying around five sentences to him. I was close to his son and daughter; my cousins. They put up their straight face for as long as they could.

Day of the funeral came with fresh snow on the ground (we were in Canada). It was an open casket so we got to see the body. I was surprised by how he looked like he was asleep. Like he could wake up at any moment. I know it sounds cliché but that's how it was.

I was more worried about my aunt though. She was always quiet and shy. I remember the night before, I was walking up the stairs and I happened to glance into her room. Her head was bowed and her hand was up to her mouth. After a while, her other hand shot to the bed to steady herself. I didn't know what to do so I just stood there watching her. Soon, though she went back downstairs to get the food ready.

The day of the funeral, my aunt was the last to enter the room with her sisters and brother (my mother being her younger sister). My aunt broke down around three times during the procession thingy (don't know what its called) where everyone pays his or her last respects. The first time was when she entered the room and laid her eyes on the body. The second was when she had to stand in front of the casket, hugging everyone and stuff. This time she collapsed to the ground with her son and daughter hugging her tightly. I just watched the three of them bawl their eyes out, prostrate on the ground the entire times (it's how we Chinese show deep grief and agony, I guess). This was also the time that I started crying because I couldn't stand to her their cries, I guess. Luckily, I didn't see their faces. I don't think I could have handled it if I did. But there I was crying to myself and cursing to myself multiple times because of it. I wasn't supposed to cry, I kept thinking. But I was. And thank god my sister didn't try to comfort me. I would have felt worse. So I bit down on my hand as hard as could to stop myself from crying. It worked for the moment.

The third time my aunt broke down was when they finally closed the casket. That was when we all filed out to the cemetery and laid my uncles body to rest. Then my aunt asked me the strangest question.

"Are you okay?"

She just broke down three times and she was asking me if I was okay?

Anyhoo, the point I'm trying to make is that funerals are never fun and are never supposed to be fun. I tried to convey that much in this chapter while still keeping true to military funerals as much as possible. I got most of my knowledge from the HBO film Taking Chance with Kevin Bacon. Go watch it if you're American. You'll feel…that good old American pride. If you aren't American, then just watch it anyway because it'll make you feel happy and it's a good movie.

Holy crap, this is one hell of an author's note. But it needed to be said.

I am officially out of college! For the summer at least, but still! Ah, the movies! Ah, the video games!

*looks into wallet*

…crap…

Ah, the part time job I have to look for now…


	25. Extra: Technophobia

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«Extra: _SSV Normandy_: Vehicle Bay»

«or Technophobia»

Tali tried to wipe the sweat from her brow as she stood beside the Mako but found it difficult with her helmet and respirator blocking her hand and head. The suit was cool enough with its own built in cooling system, but it could only cool her off so much before it wasted all of her energy. As a quarian, she had learned from a young age to conserve as much as she could. The equipment she was used to working with had a possibility of breaking down at any moment if handled incorrectly. She knew how to make every machine work past their breaking point and make them last as long as they could.

So, when she came onboard the Normandy, she was in for a shock. She could say that it was refreshing to work with equipment that wouldn't break anytime soon. But it was also a major change. Now she could spend as much time on the equipment, working out every problem. Now she doesn't have to prioritize everything by what needs her attention the most. She could spend as much time as she needed.

Which was why she was especially excited for what came next.

"How're you doing, Garrus?" Tali called.

"Almost done!" Garrus cried out from within the Mako.

"Thanks again for doing this, Garrus," Tali said for what seemed the hundredth time.

"No problem," Garrus said. "This was a great idea! Especially since the landing last time was…eventful."

"I'd do it myself but I'm not really familiar with human technology," Tali explained. "Plus, I don't think it would be alright for a quarian to be seen snooping around an Alliance vehicle. People might get the wrong idea."

"I can see where you would get the impression, but I don't think you have all that much to worry about," Garrus said.

"Why's that?" Tali asked. Garrus peeked his head through the entry hole on the roof of the Mako.

"Considering the fact that we have a krogan on board, I'm sure that this crew is pretty laid back about that kind of thing," Garrus answered.

Tali nodded and moved one of her fingers across her face in a curved motion, which conveyed a smile and Garrus repeated this motion back at her before disappearing back within the Mako. It was a hand signal that Tali and Garrus had come up with. Since it was nearly impossible to see Tali's facial expressions, Garrus had suggested that they both use hand signals to convey their expressions. Even Garrus used it even though he didn't need to, something that Tali was grateful for. He made sure that she didn't feel like an outcast.

"Do you think the Commander will like it?" Tali asked. Garrus was quiet for a moment.

"Do you really think I can answer that?" Garrus asked.

Tali sighed. It was true. Despite the time they all shared with him, they knew almost nothing about the Commander. Every time they were around him, something would happen that would shatter everything they knew already about him. The Commander…John Shepard…was truly an enigma of some kind.

There was a large electrical crackle sound and a cry of pain.

"Garrus, are you alright?" Tali asked.

Garrus poked his head out, sucking his finger and gave her a thumbs-up sign.

"It's all good!" Garrus told her as he climbed out of the Mako and dropped onto the metal ground, wiping his hands.

"Shepard should be here any minute," Tali said. As if on cue, the elevator began to move as someone descended from the crew quarters to the engineering deck. Garrus walked up to stand beside Tali. Tali glanced up and noticed a small speck of grease. Tali reached up and wiped it away.

"Thanks," Garrus whispered.

The door for the elevator opened and Shepard strode forward, holding a stack of papers under his arm. He walked towards the two, smiling briefly and nodding to each of them in turn.

"Garrus, Tali," Shepard greeted them. "How're things?"

"It's all been fine, thanks Commander," Garrus replied.

"Everyone's been really kind to us," Tali said.

"They better," Shepard said. "So what exactly do you want to show me?"

"This," Garrus said as he moved to the nearby console by the Mako. He pressed a button and began to speak. "On."

The Mako began to rev and fired up, it's engines a large boom as it echoed through the entire level.

"Did you make the Mako voice activated?" Shepard asked. He was only joking and knew that Garrus and Tali wouldn't have called him down there without a good reason.

"Just wait," Tali told him.

"Give me a head count," Garrus asked. "Of the people within five feet of the Mako."

"Reading three life signatures within five feet of the Mako," a cool, soft and lulling voice replied. Shepard smiled.

"You put a VI in the Mako," Shepard stated. "A Virtual Intelligence."

"Exactly," Garrus said proudly.

"I noticed that on Therum, we had to rely on natural reflexes and intuition to guide the Mako down when it was dropped from the Normandy," Tali said. "As you could remember…it wasn't very…enjoyable."

"Frankly, sir, it scared the shit out of us," Garrus said.

"Really?" Shepard asked. "I thought it was fun as hell."

"It wasn't, sir," Garrus replied.

Shepard looked at him for a moment.

"You sure?" Shepard asked.

"Yes sir," Garrus replied.

"Be that as it may," Tali interrupted. "Natural minds cannot handle the amount of information that needs to be processed in order to land the Mako safely. The timing has to be perfect. We launch the thrusters too early, they give out too early and we gain enough momentum to crush us. We launch them too late, it won't make a difference."

"Really?" Shepard scratched his head. "I've just been pulling the lever when we see the ground."

"My point exactly," Tali said. "So, I designed this VI to help us out. All it will do is provide support in calculating the numbers. It can also control the Mako when need be and provide firing support when need be. It'll provide an up-to-date analysis of the Mako's status, making sure it is in good condition. Basically, whatever you want it to do, it'll do."

"Can it give me a back rub?" Shepard asked.

"No sir," Tali said, smiling.

"I am unable to give you a back rub, Commander," the voice stated. "Because I do not have the body to do so. But if you would like, I can summon someone else to give you one. A female, if you prefer."

"If you could find Saren for me, that'd be wonderful," Shepard said.

"Apologies, I am unable to find the former Spectre, Saren Arterius," the VI stated. "But if you would like, I could-"

"Shut up," Shepard said.

Shepard examined the Mako for a moment.

"Are its intelligence levels acceptable?" Shepard asked.

"To what?" Tali asked.

"Citadel regulations," Garrus said. "The Citadel defines the line between VI and AI. And yes, Commander, its intelligence levels are well below the AI line."

"Rest assured Commander, I will not grow self-aware and try to kill you all," the VI said.

"That's comforting," Shepard muttered.

"I'm glad that I could be of help to you," the VI said emotionlessly.

"What's its name?" Shepard asked. Tali straightened proudly.

"Well," Garrus said. "We thought that since this is a human ship, it should have a human name. We checked the archives and researched names. One name kept coming up on our search, so we named it that."

"What?" Shepard asked.

"We named it Hal-9000, or Hal for short," Tali finished, brimming with pride. Shepard looked at the Mako for a moment. Then turned towards the two.

"You named a VI in charge of one of the deadliest weapons on this ship Hal?" Shepard asked slowly.

Tali and Garrus nodded, smiling.

Shepard slowly turned back to look at the Mako, silent for a long time. Tali and Garrus nervously looked at each other. Shepard continued to stare at the Mako.

"So?" Tali asked. "What do you think?" Shepard was silent.

"I think it 's great!" Shepard said, smiling. "This will make landing in the Mako _so_ much simpler!"

"So you like it?" Tali asked, excited.

"Of course," Shepard said. "Glad you thought of it!"

Tali's Omni-Tool chimed and she checked it.

"I have to go," Tali said. "Adams needs me." She rushed to the Engine room.

"Hey, Tali," Shepard called. Tali turned. "Good job."

Tali straightened proudly and continued to the Engine room. Garrus noticed a slight bounce in her steps. Garrus stood next to Shepard for a moment longer.

"I have things to take care of," Garrus said and walked away, leaving Shepard to examine the Mako.

"You don't like the name, do you Commander?" Hal asked.

"No, Hal," Shepard said.

"Why did you lie to them, Commander?" Hal asked. Shepard thought for a moment.

"Because they were so damn excited," Shepard said.

"I've checked the Archives," Hal said. "Hal was the name of an Artificial Intelligence that tried to kill the members of its crew. I believe that it was from an old 20th century movie called _2001: A Space Odyssey_."

"Yes, Hal," Shepard said.

"I promise you, you don't have to worry about that from me, Commander," Hal said.

"Make sure I don't," Shepard said, rubbing his eyes. He was tired.

"If you'd like, I can respond to a different name. One you are more comfortable with," Hal said.

"That won't be necessary, Hal," Shepard sighed.

There was a brief moment of silence.

"Would you like to hear a song?" Hal asked. Shepard thought for a moment.

"Fire away," Shepard said.

"_Daisy…daisy…"_ Hal sang.

"Shut up, Hal," Shepard snapped.

"If I had a mouth, I could be able to shut it, sir," Hal said. "But since I don't, I cannot shut up."

Shepard's eye twitched.

"I think you and I are going to get along _just_ fine, Hal," Shepard lied.

"I can hear the sarcasm in your voice, sir," Hal stated.

"Noted," Shepard said through his teeth.

* * *

Cool! Two extras in a row!

I've realized now that these extras can fill in details that I couldn't place anywhere else in the story. When I first introduced them, I was mainly going to use them as side-stories that have nothing to do with the main storyline. But that is pretty much impossible (everything is part of a story). So, now I guess I'll place little tid-bits of information and character development that I couldn't place anywhere else. Which is pretty much what I've been doing anyhow.

So I'm introducing a new character named Hal. It'll just be mostly used for comic relief and stuff. I'll probably have him go through some character development later.

If you haven't seen 2001: A Space Odyssey, you should. Even today, it's a classic. I know, you all probably think that is a long-ass movie (god it was) but it's probably the most abstract movie out there. You're not supposed to focus solely on the plot but understand the message Kubrick was trying to convey. That's my opinion, of course. We all know Kubrick was crazy.

In case you don't know, in the movie, when Hal was being shut down, he reverts backwards in intelligence and begins singing the first song he learned which was the Daisy song.

Saw Terminator Salvation the other day. It was pretty good. Made up for the god-awful T3 that came out. The references to the other movies were awesome. I also saw Up the other day. It was pretty cute.

SQUIRREL!

Also in case you couldn't guess, technophobia is the fear of technology.


	26. Chapter 19: The Espionage Probe

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«3.01: Voyager Cluster: Amazon System: Agebinium: Outside Mine Entrance»

«or The Espionage Probe»

The red star of Amazon blasted the planet with heat and radiation. Its rocky landscape was coated with large plains dirt and earth, turned red by the light of the star. There were no signs of life save for the entrance to an old mining facility. And the silver Mako driving up to it.

There was a loud hum that came from within the Mako as it drove across the plains. As it neared the long, cylindrical entrance, it slowed down to a dead stop, the muffled sound still hushed by the plating of the Mako.

When the hatch at the top of the Mako opened, Kaidan poked his head out and released the loud music that was blaring from within. It was a cacophony of loud, electrified instrumentations and deep, guttural growl-like sounds that Kaidan could hardly call 'singing,' no matter what Shepard said about it.

Kaidan carefully dropped from the top of the Mako and fell to the ground. The descent was slower than he was used to, Agebinium being roughly 0.79 g, making the planet's gravity less than Earth's own. He landed softly, kicking up dust from the ground, which floated slightly in the air. Grimacing slightly, he raised his hands to his ears in discomfort, hearing a loud ringing coming from within them.

"Thank you, commander," Kaidan said sarcastically. "I will officially lose my hearing sooner than I hoped."

"Oh, don't be a baby, lieutenant," Shepard's voice crackled on Kaidan's radio. "Good death metal always gets you pumped up for a mission."

"I don't doubt that, commander," Kaidan responded. His heart was racing slightly. "It's just that I would like to listen to someone singing lyrics that I can understand with my own two ears."

"Death metal takes some getting used to," Shepard replied nonchalantly. "After a few listens, you'll be able to hear the lyrics."

"I'm not sure my ears can take anymore of your kind of music," Garrus grumbled, climbing out of the Mako.

"Do turians even _have_ ears?" Wrex asked. "I mean, I know you have those scaly thingy's that pop out of the back of your heads but I don't see any ears. Are those scaly thingy's your ears?"

"Shut up, Wrex," Garrus sighed as he climbed down from the Mako to stand next to Kaidan.

"I'm just wondering!" Wrex said defensively. "If I want to shout in your ear, I wanna be sure I'm aiming at the right spot."

"For that matter, do krogan's have ears?" Ashley asked. "Don't really see them anywhere on you."

The debate raged on for a few more minutes as the crew exited the Mako. Kaidan surveyed the barren landscape, thinking back to why they were here in the first place.

_Kaidan walked up the stairs towards the Combat Information Center. He had heard Joker tell the Shepard that they had word from Fifth Fleet headquarters on the Citadel and he wanted to see what was going on._

_Shepard was already there and was already in a conversation with Admiral Hackett. Navigator Pressly was standing nearby, listening._

"_Shepard," Hackett said. His voice was distant and seemed slightly anxious. "Something uncomfortable has just come up."_

"_Oh goody," Shepard sighed, arms crossed. He glanced over at Kaidan and nodded, greeting him. Kaidan nodded back and stood against the nearby wall._

"_During the First Contact War, we fired a lot of espionage probes into turian space," Hackett continued. "We just received a mission complete burst from one of them."_

"_Well good for it," Shepard said. "After nearly 30 years, the good old probe finally completed its mission." Pressly gave Shepard a look and Shepard put up his arms defensively, causing Pressly to shake his head. "So where has our probe been in the mean time?"_

"_No idea," Hackett said patiently. "Lost in transit. These probes were built in a hurry after First Contact."_

"_So what exactly makes this 'uncomfortable,' Shepard asked._

"_When these probes were launched, we didn't have any idea who we were fighting," Hackett replied. "We didn't want to risk aliens examining our technology. The probe as a demo-nuke built in. A 20 kiloton tactical fusion warhead; about equal to the bomb dropped on Hiroshima back in the 20th. If somebody finds that probe…tampers with it…you don't need me to finish, Commander."_

"_First, I would like to comment on just how stupid that was," Shepard started. "And secondly, I know how this must be handled but I don't have anyone trained to deal with this sort of thing. Disarming nukes isn't really our forte."_

"_I know," Hackett agreed. "I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. These probes have been classified for 26 years. The Council would call fusion bomb booby traps dangerous and irresponsible. The Alliance would face censure if they find this probe. I'm asking you because the Normandy can get on sight quickly and quietly. It's in the Voyager Cluster."_

"_What the hell is it doing there?" Shepard asked, surprised. "That's the other side of the Alliance from turian space."_

"_I don't know," Hackett said. "Its possible somebody recovered it safely and brought it there. It's also possible that I got very badly lost and had been wondering the relay network ever since the war."_

_Shepard looked pensive for a moment._

"_I'll see what I can do," Shepard said finally. "We'll try to be discreet."_

"_I appreciate that, Commander," Hackett said gratefully. "Good luck. Fifth Fleet out."_

_The communications cut off and left the room in silence. Shepard looked over at Kaidan._

"_Well, Lieutenant," Shepard sighed. "Let's go find ourselves a bomb."_

Kaidan looked around at the entrance to the mine. The others had finished their debate on turian and krogan ears long enough for them to examine where they were. Shepard walked up the ramp to the entrance and looked around. Ashley was close behind while the others stayed near Kaidan. Liara looked like she wanted to join Shepard but stopped herself. Tali was, of course, next to Garrus. He examined his Omni-Tool for a moment. Sure enough, they were at the right place.

"I don't like this, Commander," Kaidan remarked through the radio.

"The signal seems to be coming from inside the mining facility," Tali said, examining her own Omni-Tool.

"From inside the mine?" Garrus asked.

"The probe didn't crash here," Wrex sniffed.

"I concur," Liara said. "Someone moved it here."

"It's possible that they didn't know what they had," Tali suggested.

"Or it's a trap," Ashley said.

"Always the pessimist," Shepard remarked.

"A pessimist is what an optimist calls a realist," Ashley replied. Kaidan heard Shepard scoff through the radio. He stood silently as he pondered the entrance for a moment. He rolled his shoulder slightly, like he was trying to shake a feeling away.

"Hal," Shepard said through the radio.

"Yes, commander?" the VI replied.

"Watch the Mako," Shepard ordered. "If we don't come out in…30 minutes, contact the Normandy. Let us know if anything comes up."

"Aye aye, Commander," Hal replied. "Please come back soon. I do enjoy your death metal so much."

"Shut up, Hal," Shepard ordered.

Kaidan shook his head. For some reason, Hal was always getting on Shepard's nerves. It was…hilarious, to say the least.

"Alright, gear up," Shepard finally said, grabbing the assault rifle on his back. "Weapons ready. Be on your guard."

"You think we'll run into trouble?" Kaidan asked, his hand fingering his pistol.

"I'm expecting it," Shepard replied. Kaidan nodded and lifted his weapon to his eye level. Tali and Wrex loaded their shotguns while Garrus and Ashley took their assault rifles. Liara hesitantly took her pistol, holding it tenderly; she wasn't used to the feel of a live weapon in her hand. They all followed Shepard through the entrance and down into the depths of the mountain.

There was water on the ground among the rocks that splashed slightly as Shepard stepped in it. His eyes never left his surroundings, though. They were trained to analyze and spot any possible threat around him. Even his left eye, which was slightly blind, could spot any danger just as well as his right one.

He approached the door and went to stand to one side of it. He motioned for Kaidan, who nodded and quickly knelt down in front of the door. Activating his Omni-Tool and taking a small device from his pouch, he pressed one end to the door, pressed a button and waited. A light showed red on the device.

"No bombs," Kaidan muttered to himself as he quickly put away the device and took out another small piece of electronic. Hooking it up to the Omni-Tool, he pressed one end to the door and an image was immediately shown on the screen of the holographic tool on his arm. He scanned the other side of the door quickly.

"All clear," Kaidan announced. "No bogeys sighted."

Shepard quickly motioned with his fingers and hand gestures Garrus and Ashley to enter first and go left along the wall. Kaidan and Tali were to move right after the first two moved through the door. Then Shepard and Liara would move through, going through the center. Wrex would move after they had all gone through, keeping the rear.

Wrex rolled his eyes at this.

The door opened and everyone moved. Liara stayed as close as she could to Shepard without getting in his way. As she looked at everyone else, she was filled with an overwhelming sense of displacement. Ashley was a tough soldier that would do anything to get the job done. Garrus was a young officer who was knowledgeable in both diplomacy and combat. Kaidan was another soldier who always knew what to do. Tali wasn't a soldier, but she knew how to fight. And she didn't even have to think about Wrex. The krogan were bred to fight.

And here she was. She wasn't a soldier; she was a scientist. She wasn't a warrior; she was a civilian. And as a civilian, she could only complicate things. That's why Shepard wanted her to be close to him: so she wouldn't get in the way. She wasn't assisting anyone; she was being protected.

She pressed her lips together, worried.

"Clear," Ashley called.

"Clear," Kaidan called.

"Why the hell am I always taking the back?" Wrex asked begrudgingly.

"Cause if people sneak up on us, they'll run straight to you," Kaidan replied.

"But I always have to look at your ugly ass all day long," Wrex quipped.

"I thought you enjoyed that," Garrus jabbed.

"I enjoyed it because I was imagining your bloodied turian face on it," Wrex replied. "It's about as ugly as Shepard's ass."

"Enough about my ass," Shepard sighed.

"Did you all find a donkey in the mines?" Hal asked through the radio, sounding confused.

"Shut up, Hal," Shepard ordered. Shepard walked up to a set of two circular doors, one of them locked. He looked at Liara for a moment. "You okay?" Liara jumped at the question.

"I-I'm fine, Commander," Liara stammered. "Why?"

"You seem…distant," Shepard replied.

"Just…thinking," Liara said.

"Well, you should focus on the now, missy," Ashley berated. "If the shit hits the fan, we don't need you thinking about what the Prothean's skin color is." Liara lowered her head in silence, trying to hide her face. Shepard studied her for a moment before moving to the opened door.

"Enough talk," Shepard ordered. "Let's move."

The team moved to the door and moved down the long tunnel deeper into the tunnel. It emptied into a small cavern. And in the corner, lay the large, 20-kiloton tactical fusion bomb disguised as an espionage probe.

"The target has been found," Shepard announced.

"Finally!" Wrex exclaimed. "We can finally get off this rock."

"I thought you krogan were fond of places like these," Tali noted.

"We're fond of places where death is," Wrex replied. "This place is just plain boring."

"Then let's get this bomb and get out of here," Garrus stated.

Shepard moved towards the bomb and the cavern was rocked, knocking everyone to the ground. Clouds of dust and small rocks fell to the ground and onto the team.

"What the hell was that?" Wrex shouted.

"That," Kaidan answered, coughing. "Was a detonator!"

Shepard coughed and sat up, looking around. He got up and ran towards the doorway, peering up the long hallway. He sighed, relieved to see the hallway still open for them to escape.

"Everyone okay?" Shepard asked, looking over everyone. They all voiced their current states, some with groans, some with witty remarks. Shepard didn't listen because he was looking at the hologram next to the bomb.

At first, it was broken and filled with static but soon, the figure of a man formed. The man had a shaved head and looked at Shepard with cold, hard eyes. Shepard stared back. Everyone slowly got up, looking cautiously at their new guest.

"Commander Shepard," the man said in a deep voice. "It's been a while." Shepard was silent for a moment.

"Elanos Haliat," Shepard replied. "Aren't you dead yet?" Haliat laughed.

"Still as witty as ever," Haliat said. "I can see you haven't changed much since last I saw you. You still have that knife with you."

"It's served me well over the years," Shepard replied.

"Let me get a good look at you," Haliat asked, leaning forward.

Shepard paused for a moment. He slowly reached up and unhooked the tubes connected to his helmet, causing air to spew out of them. He then took off his helmet and revealed his full face. Haliat smiled.

"You look good, kid," Haliat said, pleasantly.

Kaidan looked at them both in confusion, as did most everyone else. Except for Wrex, who just regarded them both with curiosity. Ashley moved to say something but Kaidan stopped her.

"When was the last time we saw each other?" Haliat asked. Shepard feigned thoughtfulness as he looked up to the side.

"Well, if memory serves, it was when you took the men of the Terminus systems and decided to attack Elysium," Shepard said. "Nice job by the way. We really kicked your ass that time."

Kaidan's mouth opened in shock.

"Oh right," Haliat said. "We met on the field of battle, didn't we? That was…unexpected."

"True," Shepard said. "After Mindoir, I wasn't expecting to see you that soon. Fate was generous that day."

"Not generous enough, it seemed," Haliat said. "We never did finish our duel. Twice we fought each other and twice our fight was interrupted. I had hoped we would resolve it before now. But fate is not that generous."

"So it would seem," Shepard said, his voice becoming a threat.

"After Elysium, life was not that generous to me," Haliat said.

"I'll bet," Shepard said. "You were the leader of the coalition. You were the leader of the Terminus systems. You led the slavers and mercenaries into battle against the largest colony the Alliance has. And you failed. Miserably."

"Because of you, kid," Haliat remarked. "Because of you. Because of you, _I_ was blamed for the Blitz's failure. Because of you, _I _was stripped of all my power as a leader. Because of you, I am forced to kill you."

"Never knew you were one for revenge," Shepard remarked, walking forward slightly. Haliat watched him with cold eyes.

"I'm not," Haliat said. "This isn't revenge. Just business."

Shepard looked around.

"So this was a trap," Shepard remarked.

"Yes," Haliat said. "I was lucky to have the Alliance send you, the first human spectre, to retrieve their bomb. This way, I can kill you and claim the respect I am entitled to. I will be the man who killed the first human spectre. And I get to kill your teammates as well. Funny. I always thought you preferred to be alone."

Shepard frowned.

"You were always the lone wolf," Haliat said. "Always by yourself. Don't worry kid. These teammates of yours will leave you all alone soon. They will leave because of whom you are. Of what you are. Death follows you wherever you go, kid. And in time, they will all die. By your hands or by the hands of the death that follows you, they will die. Painfully and in loathing of you, they will die. In fact, by killing you here, now, I'm doing you a favor. You can all die together."

Ashley's eyes shone with a brilliant flame of fury as she clenched her fists. He saw the others also tense in anger. Kaidan felt a kind of fury well up within him as well.

"Looks like they're willing to die along with you," Haliat mused.

"I can assume that we can't contact our ship from here," Shepard said.

"Of course not," Haliat said. "The metal in these walls prevents that."

"It's sad," Shepard said, shaking his head.

"What is?" Haliat asked.

"I always said I was going to kill you," Shepard said sadly.

"I know, kid," Haliat replied, nodding. "I'm actually very disappointed in this outcome. I always wanted to finish that fight we started on Mindoir. But now, we won't get the chance. That will always be my biggest regret."

"Don't count on it," Shepard said, smiling. "We may finish that fight sooner than you think."

"That would be a welcome surprise," Haliat said, smiling back at him. "I'll look forward to it. Until then, good-bye, Shepard."

And with that, the hologram flickered and he was gone. The room was silent as everyone watched Shepard. They watched as Shepard reached for the knife attached to his shoulder and gripped the handle tightly.

"What do we do now, Shepard?" Liara asked.

"We're getting the hell out of here," Shepard replied. "We'll dig ourselves out if we need to. There's someone up top that needs my knife in his neck. In the meantime, look around for anything we can use."

Kaidan heard a beep.

He turned to where the sound originated.

His eyes widened slowly.

"Commander," Kaidan said slowly. "The timer on that 10 foot nuclear bomb is ticking."

* * *

We're starting the War Hero Arc as I call it. We'll meet some new characters and come to know John Shepard a little bit more.

Sims 3 now. Cheers.


	27. Chapter 20: Little Boy

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«3.02: Voyager Cluster: Amazon System: Agebinium: Inside Mine»

«or Little Boy»

_1:30.00_

"Ah, shit," Shepard muttered.

Shepard rushed over to the '10 foot nuclear bomb,' as Kaidan so aptly called it. His eyes were searching and examining the device. Quickly, yet cautiously, he tried to discern some weakness to the terrifying machine. All the while, the timer on the bomb ticked away, each second that disappeared was a second closer to utter obliteration. All the while, Shepard muttered to himself, going through each piece of information bit by bit, processing everything.

All the while, his team watched with growing terror, trying desperately to keep calm. They all knew that if they became excited, they could easily make a mistake. Ashley was pacing back and forth expectantly, Tali and Garrus were staying close beside each other while Liara was standing as still as she could. Wrex plopped himself down on the nearby wall and rested his head against the rock wall, possibly resting, possibly meditating.

Kaidan stood nearby, watching Shepard work at analyzing the bomb. Kaidan had to admit to himself that he was terrified. He was standing close enough to a nuclear bomb to touch it, knowing full well that it could kill him in a heartbeat. He wanted to get away. Get away from here. Run away-

No. He needed to keep calm. Don't panic. Don't be afraid. Don't get excited. If he got excited, he knew he wouldn't be able to control himself any longer. Deep breaths, deep breaths. Keep calm.

_1:20.98_

Shit, Kaidan wanted to do something.

"Sir, is there anything I can do to help?" Kaidan asked.

"You can stop talking and let me work," Shepard ordered. He activated his Omni-Tool and began examining the device. Oddly enough, he wasn't sweating. Kaidan licked his lips, which suddenly felt as dry as sand.

"Maybe it would be better if you let me help you," Kaidan suggested.

"Yeah, Commander," Ashley said, hurriedly. "Let us help you." Liara, Tali and Garrus nodded anxiously.

"It would actually be better if you all stopped talking," Shepard said, possibly more coldly than he intended. Shepard seemed completely ingrained in his work. He wasn't going to budge. Kaidan looked at the timer.

_1:10.45_

"Sir, I don't feel comfortable just sitting around here," Ashley scolded, temper flaring.

"Then find something to do," Shepard told her.

"Sir!" Kaidan exclaimed. Shepard looked him in the eye. "Let me help!"

Shepard looked at him for a moment, searching for…something.

"God, you people are needy," Shepard sighed. "Fine. There are three hard points that you can access with your Omni-Tool. These three hard points lead directly to the timer and the fuse. I'll work on this one while you work on defusing the one over there. The middle one will be the hardest and requires us both to do it. Okay?"

"Got it," Kaidan immediately rushed over to the hard point, and activated his Omni-Tool.

"What can I do?" Ashley asked.

"You got a light?" Shepard asked.

Ashley nodded skeptically.

"Get it ready," Shepard said. "When I'm done here, I'm gonna need a smoke."

Ashley nodded, unsure if she liked this assignment. But it gave her something to do.

"Can we do anything?" Garrus asked.

"No," Shepard said. "Sorry, but I don't need you guys yet. Have a seat. Relax. I'll be done in a minute."

Everyone nodded, unsure if they liked sitting around doing nothing, but knowing on some level that they can't do anything yet.

_0:50.63_

Shepard and Kaidan worked furiously, examining their work and modifying it. They worked through the code that they encountered, analyzing and breaking, trying to find the one strand of code that could turn off the bomb. Sweat began to pour off of Kaidan's forehead and onto his Omni-Tool, disrupting the hologram but he worked through it. Not a drop of sweat was found on Shepard, however. He gave the impression that nothing was wrong and that he was in complete control.

Liara paced back and forth, hand up to her mouth, chewing her finger, trying to calm herself. Anxiously, she tried to look at what the two men were doing, but found that she didn't want to. She didn't even want to look at the thing that could kill her.

"Have a seat, asari," Wrex grumbled. "Your pacing is wearing me out."

"How can you be so still when you could die in the next minute?" Liara asked incredulously.

"I'm a krogan," Wrex told her. "Death doesn't scare me."

"Well excuse me if I didn't have the foresight to be born a krogan," Liara scolded, continuing her pacing.

"Relax," Wrex said, yawning. "We're not going to die today."

"What makes you so sure?" Liara asked sharply.

"Because they both know exactly what they're doing," Wrex answered. "They are in complete control. They aren't worried. Neither should we."

Liara looked at the two again, specifically Shepard. It was true; they both knew exactly what they were doing. And Shepard wasn't worried.

Liara felt her heart rate drop. Only a little, but she calmed herself.

Shepard was such an interesting character.

_0:40.81_

"All done here!" Kaidan exclaimed.

"Same here," Shepard said calmly. "We need to remove the timer and find the fuse. We disconnect the fuse from the timer, then this thing should calm down."

"It's not gonna be as easy as red wire, blue wire is it?" Ashley asked.

"Don't count on it," Shepard muttered.

They quickly worked to unscrew the timer form the rest of the device. When they did, they pulled out an entire bundle of wires, crisscrossed and tangled among each other. Shepard sighed before he and Kaidan dove in.

Tali and Garrus were sitting close to each other, trying desperately not to worry. Both for the team's sake and for each other.

Garrus looked over at Tali and Tali looked back at him. Garrus smiled as he moved his finger in an arched motion. He was telling her to smile. Tali repeated the motion, telling him that she was smiling. Garrus nodded though Tali seemed to hesitate.

"Are you scared?" Tali asked. Garrus looked at her for a moment.

"Hell yes," Garrus admitted. Tali looked down at the ground, seemingly crestfallen. Garrus took hold of her hand and held it tight. She held on just as tightly. "But I'm not worried. I don't know how that works. I'm scared shitless but I'm not worried."

Tali looked at him through her visor. She nodded and repeated the arching motion with her finger again.

"Then neither am I," Tali said boldly.

_0:25.29_

"Alright, I see two wires heading towards the fuse. Do you see those?" Kaidan asked.

"Yeah, I see them," Shepard replied. "The green one with a red stripe and the grey one with a blue stripe. Can you see which one goes to the fuse?"

"No," Kaidan said, frustrated.

_0:20.18_

"Shit, I can't see it!" Kaidan exclaimed.

"Alright, deep breath, Kaidan," Shepard told him. "Look again. Let's look again."

"Alright, alright," Kaidan breathed. He peered into the device, looking desperately for something he missed. Shepard peered over his shoulder, trying to see. "SHIT! Why the hell are they both going towards the fuse!"

Shepard looked in and sure enough, both wires were connected straight to the fuse, which was connected again to the bomb itself.

_0:15.90_

"Can we cut them both?" Kaidan asked hurriedly.

"That's not how it works," Shepard told him. "This device is designed specifically to blow up if someone else tampers with it. I guarantee you that if we cut the wrong one, a fail-safe will go and the bomb will blow up anyways. So we need to cut one of the wires."

"Which one?" Kaidan asked. "The green with the red stripe or the grey with the blue stripe?" Shepard turned to look at Ashley.

"How did you call that?" Shepard asked, grinning like a madman.

"JOHN!" Ashley shouted.

"Okay, okay, okay, okay!" Shepard said. "Jeez!"

_0:10.66_

The bomb began to hum.

"So which one?" Kaidan shouted. Shepard grabbed his knife from the sheath on his shoulder and flipped it once in his hand. He held it to one of the wires and hesitated.

Shepard mind froze as he held onto the knife tightly. He couldn't think as the adrenaline kicked in and worked against him. He couldn't even say his own name if he was asked it. Then multiple things formed in his mind as the adrenaline scrambled his

"Shepard!" Kaidan shouted.

Was it the green one with the red stripe?

(_Jane)_

Was it the grey one with the blue stripe?

_(If he destroys me, then I shall die with pride)_

"SHEPARD!" Ashley shouted.

_0:05.01_

The humming bomb grew louder.

_(For I fought with my mind, body and soul)_

"WHICH ONE!" Kaidan tried to snap him out of it.

_0:04.10_

_(If I destroy him, then I shall smile with pride)_

"Shit," Shepard muttered as he tried to calm himself.

_0:03.00_

_(For my mind, body and soul were victorious)_

"Just cut one already!" Wrex goaded.

"YOU'RE NOT HELPING!" Ashley screamed.

_0:02.92_

Shepard glanced over at Liara.

For a brief moment, he looked at Liara.

_0:01.25_

"Blue one," Shepard muttered and pulled the knife.

_0:00.06_

_0:00.06_

_0:00.06_

_-:-.—_

_-:-.—_

_-:-.—_

A plume of white smoke erupted from the device as Kaidan leapt backwards and away, landing on his back.

Shepard backed away as well, covering his face with his hand, unconsciously covering Ashley with his body.

Liara stepped back and held her breath.

Tali and Garrus gripped each other's hand tighter.

Wrex cocked one side of his brow.

The plume of smoke lifted high into the air, filling the cave with a smell that no one could identify. Slowly, the smoke dissipated and disappeared. The bomb's hum slowed down and retreated. The room was filled with silence. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as the silence continued and they were still alive.

"Ah shit!" Kaidan exclaimed as he collapsed onto the ground, covering his face with his hands. Wrex got up and patted him on the stomach.

"Get up, pansy," Wrex told him.

Kaidan didn't even bother replying.

Garrus and Tali got up and helped Kaidan recover and got him to his feet, patting him on the back and praising him. Liara joined them, though she stayed back.

Shepard, on the other hand, was standing as straight as he could. He got out a cigarette.

"Williams, you got that light?" Shepard asked.

Ashley nodded and got out a box of matches that she kept. Lighting a match, she held it up to Shepard's cigarette and he breathed in deep. Slowly, he let out a plume of smoke into the air in front of him.

He nearly fell backwards but caught himself on Ashley's shoulder. Ashley held onto him with own strength, making sure he didn't fall. She knew that he was more exhausted then he let on, though he would never admit it. He was too proud.

Soon, though, he straightened himself up. Tossing the cigarette onto the ground and crushing it under his boot, he looked at Ashley.

"Thanks," he whispered.

"No problem," Ashley whispered back.

Shepard turned to his team. He grinned maniacally.

"Who wants payback?" Shepard asked.

The answer was unanimous.

* * *

The Little Boy was the name of the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima. Now you know.

This chapter turned out to be longer than I planned, hence the cliffhanger. Again.

I know red wire/blue wire scenarios are cheesy but they can be tense as hell. During Armageddon, you were on the edge of your seats, hoping they got the right wire. During Abyss, you prayed to god he cut the right wire. It's overdone, but effective. BTW, I don't know how a bomb works, nor do I encourage going out and defusing your own bomb. As for the adrenaline rush that kicked in, yes, even Shepard can freeze.

BTW, do you guys remember the Litany I introduced in chapter 9? Huh? Huh?

8-O

I hope everyone is keeping up with the Mass Effect 2 news. It looks great so far. Can't wait for it. It's supposed to take place 2 years after Mass Effect 1, so I'll have a lot to fill in.

On that note, after this story is over, I will (hopefully) be working on a story called Mass Effect: Interlude. It will really be just a series of One-Shots and will tell the story of the team between Mass Effect 1 and 2. Comedy and Action, mostly with some drama in there somewhere. I'll probably discuss the Cerberus story and the Bring Down the Sky DLC, as well as some other humorous side missions. It'll be a little bit more relaxed and hilarious. It'll be difficult, because, you know, I'm a heartless bastard.

This is likely to change, because the ending is still so…so…so far away. Wish me luck.

When Shepard says that he doesn't need them yet, that's really me saying the following:

"I know that Liara, Tali, Garrus and Wrex don't have big roles yet, I know that they are shallow as hell but the story does not need them yet. I will add them later on and they will have their own stories. Please, please, please, PLEASE, be patient. I'm begging you on my hands and knees over here. Be patient. It would behoove you to know that I know where I'm going with this story."

The statement is not pointed at anyone in particular. If you take offense to it, I apologize.

That's it. Cheers.


	28. Chapter 21: Blade vs Blade

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«3.03: Voyager Cluster: Amazon System: Agebinium: Mercenary Camp»

«Blade vs. Blade»

Elanos Haliat knelt on a mat before an urn filled with ashes. In his right hand he held a lighter, with the flame lit and flickering slightly. In his left hand he held a long, thin bundle of incense. He watched as he put the incense to the flame, burning the bundle and filling his nostrils with its fragrance. He continued to watch the smoke rise from the incense for a moment before he stuck the bundle into the urn of ash. Letting the incense burn, Elanos Haliat watched bundle give off its smoke and fragrance for a little bit longer.

This was the way he mourned for his only student. This is how he prayed for the soul of John Shepard.

It was true that Elanos Haliat truly wanted his position as leader of the Terminus pirate bands. And he knew that killing Shepard would be the easiest way to reclaim his power. This did not mean, however, that he did not respect him. He was not bitter for Shepard's victory on Elysium; he was not bitter that he became the laughing stock of the Terminus Systems. Elanos and John had fought each other equally and John's skill had proved to be far superior to his own. And now, he had proven that Elanos had outmaneuvered John.

His only regret, he realized, was that he could not fight John one last time. A one on one battle without distractions. He desperately wished he could have had that.

Elanos closed his eyes and breathed deep the fragrance and smoke.

And he heard something explode outside.

Elanos' eyes snapped open at the sound. It must have been one of the vehicles they had outside. That meant that they would have one more still operational and the Mako that belonged to Shepard. The one that wouldn't shut up when they brought it in.

But who was attacking them?

Elanos walked calmly to the nearby intercom station and flipped the switch.

"Talk to me, what the hell's going on out there?" Haliat asked through the radio.

"We are under attack by…looks like the Alliance," the man's voice came through, breathing hard over the sound of static.

"The Alliance?" Haliat asked. "Are you sure?"

"Definitely," the man replied. "Wait-wait a minute…"

Haliat waited patiently.

"Holy shit," the man breathed. "It's S_hepard_! Oh-"

There was a loud thud followed by the sound of gunfire.

Haliat couldn't help but smile to himself broadly.

He turned quickly and walked up the burning incense. Plucking it out of the urn, he threw it onto the ground and stepped on it, extinguishing it. There was no need for it.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Kaidan moved from behind the crate, trying to remain hidden. He heard the sniper rifle fire from high above and knew that Garrus was covering them from above. He peeked out slowly and found that he had successfully gone around to the mercenaries flank. They were busy shooting at Shepard, Tali, Wrex and Liara. They weren't actual soldiers and weren't trained to handle the stress of battle. They were so focused and desperate to kill their enemies that they weren't paying attention to their surroundings.

Perfect.

Kaidan leaned back behind cover and looked at Ashley, who was close behind him.

"Ready?" Kaidan asked.

"Hell yeah," Ashley replied.

Kaidan nodded and took out his grenade as Ashley took out her own. Kaidan counted to three with his mouth and fingers. On the count of three, Kaidan leaned out and tossed the grenade as Ashley threw hers by Kaidan's ear. They quickly hid behind cover and waited for the explosion.

Kaidan felt the thud and vibration course through the crate he used for cover and felt the wind of debris fly past him. He waited a few seconds and he leaned out from cover. Finding his target, he opened fire with his pistol.

In under a minute, the mercenaries were dead.

"Clear!" Ashley shouted.

As soon as she did, there was cannon fire and the ground in front of her exploded.

Ashley was blown backwards, hitting the ground with a thud, being hit by flying debris. Wearily getting to her feet, her ears began to ring a high-pitched tone. All she could hear was that one sound. All she could think about was getting rid of that sound. She dropped her gun and began tapping the sides of her helmet. She felt someone grab her shoulder and pull her somewhere else. The sound was deafening.

She was thrown to the ground by whoever had grabbed her and felt a hand grab her face. Ashley was forced to look at Kaidan's face. He was saying something to her but it was drowned out by that loud tonal noise in her ears.

Slowly, she could start to hear the world around her. It was filled with gunfire and shouts.

"Are you okay?" Kaidan asked her again. Ashley closed her eyes briefly and nodded.

"I'm fine!" She told him, rubbing her ears. Kaidan nodded and began firing at…whatever had nearly blasted her eardrums.

"Stay alert!" She heard Garrus shout through her radio. "The Grizzly's coming back around!"

Ashley managed to gather enough coherence to peek out from where she was hiding and spied the M29 Grizzly. The predecessor to the Mako, the Grizzly was much larger and bulkier. That made it much slower than the Mako, but it also made it much more powerful. The gigantic cannon that resided on top of it proved this greatly.

She watched as the Grizzly slowly labored its way back around and towards the group. However, the cannon was aimed straight at them the entire time.

And it was about to fire.

"Move!" Ashley shouted. She grabbed Kaidan and pulled him away, running the entire time. She heard the cannon fire and felt the ground beneath them explode. Ashley lost her footing and fell forward, hitting the ground again with the thud. Once again, the incoherence kicked in along with that loud ringing sound in her ears, but it was noticeably quieter than before. Still, she was confused about everything. She couldn't be sure if she was looking at the sun or the lights of the Grizzly. She couldn't be sure but she thought she heard Kaidan screaming. The sound was so muffled that she couldn't be sure, though.

She felt something grab her ankle. Something about it didn't feel…human. No, it wasn't human. Something was grabbing her ankle and it wasn't human.

Ashley began to kick at whatever was grabbing her. It wasn't human.

"Stop kicking me, dammit!" Wrex shouted at her as he grabbed both her and Kaidan's ankle. "And Kaidan! Stop screaming! You're hurting my ears!"

Kaidan was grabbing his face and screaming incoherently in pain. Wrex didn't know what he was in so much pain about, but he knew that he had to make sure that Kaidan knew that he was with his team. Hopefully, hearing his voice would remind him of that.

Wrex pulled Ashley and Kaidan along; he managed to reach the rocks that the rest of the team was taking cover behind. Ducking behind the rock cover, he found Liara, Tali and Shepard.

"Garrus, where're my eyes?" Shepard said into his radio.

"You have about a few more seconds before that cannon starts firing again," Garrus said into his intercom. "I think the driver overheated his weaponry, so you may have longer."

"Is that turian still on top of that freaking mountain?" Wrex asked incredulously, plopping the two human's legs onto the ground.

"I'm supposed to be your eyes and ears, krogan," Garrus answered.

"Typical turian," Wrex grumbled. "Fighting from afar. Too afraid to get your hands dirty."

"And Wrex, guess what I'm looking at through my scope," Garrus asked. "Your head. Bang. Head shot."

"Oh ha ha ha ha ha," Wrex mumbled. "You're dead when I see you."

"Will you two love birds shut up!" Tali shouted.

"We need to get these two out of here, Commander," Liara told him. "Both Lieutenant Alenko and Chief Williams may have damaged their ear drums."

"I am well aware of that, doctor, thank you," Shepard said. He peeked out from behind the rock and spied the Grizzly laboriously trying to turn. Whoever was driving was either drunk or had never driven something that big before. That or they were scared. Either way, that still made the situation dangerous.

"What's the plan, Shepard?" Tali asked him. Shepard surveyed the surroundings one last time. In all honesty, he had no idea what he would do next. Most of the time, he barely had any idea what he was doing. Most of the time, he just winged it. But this time, he honestly had no idea what he would do next.

Something crackled in over his headset radio.

"May I be of assistance, Commander Shepard?" that familiar voice came through his ear.

"Hal?" Shepard asked unbelievingly.

"I am sorry that I couldn't contact you sooner, Commander," Hal told him. "I had to conserve what power I had left when those mercenaries took me. They fired an EMP at me, which sucked out most of the power I had. I asked them politely to release me and I told them that I was a member of Commander Shepard's squad but they wouldn't listen so I turned off my remaining power reserves and-"

"Shut up, Hal," Shepard told him. "I assume you have an idea?"

"Yes, Commander," Hal replied. "I apologize but this plan requires running on your part."

"I don't like where this is going," Shepard replied.

"It's quite simple, really," Hal continued. "All you do is run towards the cliff to the north west. Hopefully, the M29 Grizzly will fire at you. When it comes close to the cliff, I'll ram it over the edge."

"Couldn't you just shoot it?" Wrex asked.

"Not enough power to fire the main cannon, I am afraid," Hal told him. "I am sorry that this is not the best plan, but if anyone else have anything better, please share them."

"Commander, the Grizzly's recharging," Garrus chimed in.

"We don't, Hal," Shepard said. "I get it. I'll go. Just tell me when."

"Shepard, you cannot be seriously condoning this!" Liara exclaimed.

"Sure I am," Shepard told her, taking off his weaponry and placing them on the ground. "It'll be good exercise."

"You could get killed!" Liara said.

"I could've gotten killed when we were standing next to that bomb," Shepard replied, removing everything he didn't need. "I could've gotten killed a lot of times. What makes this time any different?"

"Okay, the Grizzly's coming around," Garrus told them.

"Tell me when Hal," Shepard said into his radio.

"This is crazy!" Tali exclaimed. Liara nodded fervently.

"Sounds fun!" Wrex exclaimed. "I'm coming too."

"Just don't slow me down," Shepard told him.

"Trust me, you'll be kissing my ass by the end of this," Wrex told him.

"Can we think about this before we-?" Liara tried to say.

"Now, Commander," Hal ordered.

They bolted from behind cover and ran as hard as they could.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Elanos watched through the camera as Shepard and his krogan friend ran from behind cover and towards the cliff face. He watched as the Grizzly began to lumber towards them, firing it's last shot at them. He leaned in closer to the screen when the Grizzly drove precariously close to the edge. He watched with glee as the Mako suddenly roared to life and drove forward. He laughed as loud and as hard as he could when the Grizzly careened over the cliff.

Now he knelt before the urn filled with ash, incense sticking out of the ash, a prayer for each of his men. They were good men, even though they were mercenaries. They were still warriors and they had to be treated as such. Eyes closed, he breathed in the fragrance that filled the room.

"What exactly do you pray for?" a familiar voice asked him.

"I pray for the safe departure of my fallen comrades," Elanos replied. "I pray that they will reach the afterlife safely and without incident. What do you pray for?"

"I don't pray," Shepard replied. "There's no point in sitting on my knees and wishing."

"But you wish for many things," Elanos told him. "For instance, you wished that you and I would meet again, am I right?"

"Of course," Shepard said, walking forward while his team sat back and watched. "I had to pay you back for this." Shepard pointed to the scar on his eye.

"You were always motivated by revenge," Elanos said as he slowly got up from where he knelt. He turned to face Shepard and slowly walked towards him. "Revenge for Mindoir, revenge for Elysium…revenge for your original teammates. Your entire life is based on this notion of revenge, did you notice that?"

"What're you getting at, exactly?" Shepard asked.

"Well, you always mask your true motivations under this guise of revenge," Elanos told him, moving closer to him. "The reason you volunteered to go to Torfan under the command of Major Kyle was because you wanted revenge for the death of…James, was it? He was the one, who died on Elysium, wasn't he? Your second in command? Anyways, you went to Torfan, hoping to find the man who killed him. Or batarian, if you prefer. You got nearly 75% of your crew killed during the raid. And you didn't even blink."

"You going to reach the point anytime soon, old man?" Shepard asked harshly.

"The point I'm trying to make is that you say you do this all for revenge," Elanos moved even closer until he was standing right in front of Shepard. "But really…you do it for the violence. You like the bloodshed. You enjoy death."

"That's your opinion," Shepard said quietly.

"It's the truth," Elanos said simply. "You were pretty damn quick to grab your blade and a gun on Mindoir. Quick to kill every slaver you saw. You were also quick to lead the raid on Torfan, getting your team killed. In fact, you were pretty damn quick to come after me, weren't you? Why is that?"

Shepard didn't say anything.

"Were you seeking a another fight against me?" Elanos asked. "Fine. I was hoping for this. Whenever you're ready."

Elanos turned away and walked towards the urn, taking off his shirt as he did, revealing well-toned muscles as well as scars. Shepard turned around and took off his guns and equipment. He wasn't going to need it.

"What the hell are you doing, sir?" Ashley said sharply, leaning against Garrus, still recovering from before. "Is this really necessary? Why don't we just arrest him and be done with it!"

"Or kill him," Wrex said.

"Because this man taught me much of what I know today," Shepard told her, working on his armor. "Even though our relationship is not really the…student/teacher kind, I still owe him a good fight."

"So what happens now?" Kaidan asked, rubbing his ears slightly.

"Now, you'll witness a true fight, the way they were fought in the old days," Shepard said, taking off the top, revealing his own muscles and scars.

"What's the point of all this, Commander?" Liara asked.

"We've fought each other two times before but never finished," Shepard told her. "Today, we'll finally do that. You guys want to leave, you can. I won't stop you. Do what you ant." Shepard gripped the handle of his knife and turned back to his old master, barefoot and shirtless.

"Is this _really_ necessary?" Ashley asked after him. Shepard turned to her and smiled.

"No idea," he winked at her. "We'll see."

"Leave him be, Williams," Wrex told her. "You're about to witness a true warrior's battle."

"So are we just going to stand here and watch this 'fight?'" Ashley said incredulously.

"Yeah," Wrex said simply.

Ashley rolled her eyes.

"Williams, I just want you guys to stand there and be quiet," Shepard said, stretching his limbs. "This is personal. If you can't handle it, do what you want."

Shepard walked forward as he deftly played with the knife in his hand. Elanos also twirled his own knife between his fingers, though this one was noticeably longer and more menacing. The blade was serrated so that it looked like it had small teeth. His blade was made to cut people, maybe even carve them.

They looked at each other, both smiling in their own way.

"I hope you haven't forgotten the words I taught you," Elanos asked.

"Of course not," Shepard and he recited along with Elanos:

"_My mind is the blade,  
My body is the hand,  
My soul is the heart,_

_The blade is my conviction,  
The hand is my center,  
The heart is my existence,_

_My blade guides my hand,  
My hand guides my heart,  
My heart guides my blade,_

_My enemy challenges my mind,  
My enemy challenges my body,  
My enemy challenges my soul,_

_My blade shall fight his challenges, for it is my mind, my conviction,  
My hand shall fight his challenges, for it is my body, my center,  
My heart shall fight his challenges, for it is my soul, my existence,_

_My enemy challenges me,  
So he shall meet me,  
Mind, body, and soul,  
He shall meet me,  
Blade, hand and heart,  
He shall meet me,_

_If he destroys me, then I shall die with pride,  
For I fought with my mind, body and soul,  
If I destroy him, then I shall smile with pride,  
_

_For my mind, body and soul were victorious_."

Shepard and Elanos giggled.

And launched themselves at each other.

Shepard threw himself forward and stabbed his hand forward. But Elanos' reach was longer and he was quicker. Elanos stabbed his own hand forward and Shepard forced himself to stop. The tip of Elanos' blade came dangerously close to Shepard's eye.

His momentum still forcing him forward, Shepard dropped himself onto his back, forcing his legs up towards Elanos' face. Elanos shifted his body weight to his other leg, moving his body to the side, away from Shepard's kick. As he shifted, he fell towards the side and let his own arm fall towards his side, causing the blade to arc towards Shepard's body.

Shepard quickly rolled his body to the side and back, rolling over his head and back onto his feet. Elanos' blade cut a mark into the metal floor as Shepard slid back on the balls of his bare feet. Shepard darted towards Elanos as his mentor rolled across his back and onto his feet.

Shepard's hand shot forward in a stabbing motion, going for Elanos' sides and neck. Elanos backed away, using his own knife to block each of the strikes launched by him, causing sparks to fly each time the two blades collided. Each time, Shepard felt the blow reverberate up his arm, a dull throb eating through bone, numbing it slowly, but he didn't mind.

He missed the feeling.

Shepard shot forward, letting his knife guide his hand. Elanos anticipated this and sidestepped, allowing the hand to go by his head, using his own free hand to guide it along. Twirling his blade so it pointed towards his elbow, Elanos pushed against the ground, leapt up and rolled across Shepard's back. As he rolled, his blade began to inch closer to Shepard's neck.

Shepard's head shot back and smacked the back of Elanos' head, Elanos' knife stabbing the air where his neck used to be. The impact, however, hurt the back of Shepard's head as well as Elanos. Elanos finished the roll and landed back onto his feet as Shepard ducked and stepped back.

Elanos rubbed his head as Shepard shook away the black specks that floated across his vision. Shepard and Elanos' eyes met when they found their footing.

They laughed. And charged at each other again.

Garrus couldn't help but stare in awe, as the two became a flurry of clashes and sparks. Their hands were a blur while their knives drew lines through the air. It didn't even seem real to his eyes. Just watching them was…exhilarating. Garrus also found himself feeling…envious of Shepard.

"This is…unreal," Tali commented. "Can a human body even move that fast?"

"When the adrenaline starts pumping, your body can almost do anything," Wrex replied. "That's probably why they go through that whole litany before they fought. Kick start's the adrenaline."

"He said the same thing before our fight with Fist," Ashley said. "And he…giggled then."

"How can words affect the body?" Kaidan asked. Wrex shrugged.

"Who knows," Wrex told him in a surprisingly kinder tone then usual.

"Maybe it isn't the words themselves but the meaning behind them," Liara spoke up. "Maybe it excites them a little, causing the adrenaline to begin coursing through their veins."

"Maybe," Wrex said after a glance. He had forgotten she was there.

"I would love to see how his techniques fare against a quarian blade," Tali said, eagerly.

"Didn't know you quarians _knew_ how to get your hands dirty," Wrex said.

"I don't carry this blade on my leg for show," Tali retorted. "I was taught by the best instructors the Flotilla has to offer and graduated at the _top_ of my class."

Wrex was unimpressed.

"I've killed over a 50 geth with my blade as well," Tali added when she remembered whom she was talking to. Classes and lessons from others didn't amount to much; it was your abilities on the field that truly showed your character.

Wrex nodded, smiling.

"Maybe when this is all over, we'll be able to see that fight," Kaidan said.

"Maybe," Wrex said.

"You doubt the commander's abilities?" Ashley asked him.

"Starting to," Wrex sounded concerned. He nodded towards the fighters. "Look who drew first blood."

Garrus peered closer and sure enough, there was a large gash running across Shepard's stomach where blood was leaking out freely. Somewhere during the fight, Elanos had scored a hit and Shepard was gritting his way through it.

"That's deep," Garrus noted.

"Yup," Wrex said. "It's eating away his energy. He's going to keel over if he keeps this up."

"Jesus," Ashley groaned. Wrex smiled though.

"Though you have to hand it to them," he stated. "They can still have fun. Look at them. Death could be lurking around the corner for them and they're still smiling like idiots."

Garrus looked again and sure enough, their eyes were wide and gleaming while their teeth showed the depth of their smile. Their grin was either from pure happiness or intense insanity; he couldn't tell the difference.

"They're enjoying this," Garrus whispered in awe.

Shepard _was_ enjoying this, despite the grievous wound. He didn't want to stop; he _couldn't_ stop. Grinning wildly, he thought he heard himself laugh, adding to the noise of their blades clashing. He had forgotten how thrilling it felt to fight someone on his level. He had forgotten how _good_ it felt. And he knew Elanos felt the same way. He was grinning just as broadly as Shepard was.

However, Shepard felt his body slow down. He knew he was weakening due to the wound, but he tried to keep himself moving just as hard. However, his strength was leaving him.

Shepard cut an arc across the air, leaving himself wide open. Elanos took this opportunity and continued his momentum, lifting his leg up wide and kicking Shepard straight in the jaw. Shepard's vision was pure whiteness for a brief moment as he instinctively grabbed the leg with his free hand. Shepard brought his knife straight and true and stabbed Elanos' leg, feeling blood soak through the cloth and onto his hand.

Grunting slightly, Elanos quickly jumped up with his free leg and twisted his body. His other leg crashed into Shepard's ear, making him lose his sense of direction for a moment and filling his vision with black specks. His hand slipped from his knife as he collapsed on the ground. Elanos quickly stepped back, hand gripping the knife in his leg.

"Not bad, kid," Elanos laughed. "Not too bad at all! You continue to impress. You haven't forgotten anything I taught you and you have learned more then I could ever hope to teach you."

"Good to know," Shepard winced as he touched his wound. "Can I have my knife back?"

"I am a bit disappointed that you haven't finished me sooner," Elanos said. "And you let go of your knife, which is simply appalling. But…you're right. I can't fight an unarmed man."

"I'm a man now?" Shepard asked.

"I'd say you are," Elanos nodded. "But, we come to a certain conundrum. A Mexican standoff, if you would. I'm going to throw you your knife back but at the same time, I'll be moving in to kill you. Let's see how fast you are. Can you grab your knife and kill me before I can?"

"Looks like I'm gonna have to," Shepard said simply.

His team leaned forward a little, waiting. They didn't dare come between them. They realized now that this wasn't their fight. They were only spectators.

Elanos smiled and Shepard smiled.

Elanos tore the knife from his leg and stepped forward.

Shepard quickly moved forward.

Elanos tossed the knife towards Shepard.

Shepard reached forward, blood pouring from his wound.

Elanos brought his hand back, preparing to strike.

Shepard grabbed the handle of the knife, holding it in reverse as the blade dripped blood.

Elanos shot his hand forward.

Shepard wrapped his arm around his head as he brought his free hand forward.

Elanos' knife tore into Shepard's outstretched hand, spilling blood out the other side.

Shepard's eyes met Elanos'.

Shepard unwrapped his arm and shot his knife forward.

The knife dug deep into Elanos' chest.

Elanos Haliat's eyes widened in surprise for a moment. Only a moment. Then they were filled with contentment. He smiled warmly.

"Good job, boy," Elanos said. Shepard smiled kindly.

Elanos' strength left him and he almost fell. Shepard caught him and helped him to the ground. Elanos coughed a little, but smiled through it all. He looked happy.

"Good job, John," Elanos said. "You've done well. I couldn't be happier."

"I aim to please," John told him.

The scene before the team looked different then before. Before, they were watching two enemies fight. Before, they were watching master and student fight. Now, they were watching father and son say good-bye.

"I always hoped that I would die at the hands of someone I respected," Elanos said weakly. "It's every warrior's dream. Now I have."

Shepard smiled and nodded. Elanos' face turned grave as it paled, losing blood.

"You shouldn't get too attached to this crew of yours," Elanos told him. "It'll only cause you pain."

Shepard remained silent.

"Death follows you everywhere, my boy," Elanos continued. "Everywhere you go. It's your nature. In the future, all of them or one of them will die. And they will hate you for it. And it will cause you so much anguish that you will want to join them. Leave them be. Don't get too attached. It'll only cause you pain."

Shepard remained silent for a moment.

"I can't make any promises," John told him. Elanos smiled.

"Guess that'll have to do," Elanos said, laughing and coughing. "Just be careful. Death is indifferent. It can't be reasoned with or fought. It answers to no man. It takes whoever it wishes whenever it wants to." He gazed up at the ceiling.

"It's my turn for now," he whispered. "It's come to take me. But I embrace it gladly."

His breathed out a long sigh of…relief, it sounded like.

The room was silent as the fragrance of the nearby incense filled the room once more.

It smelled like roses.

Ashley watched as Shepard bowed his head reverently and carefully pulled his blade from his master's chest. He whispered something to his master one last time and stood up. Ashley watched as he looked over at the bloodied knife and jerked his wrist, causing the blood to slide off the blade. But not the handle or the hilt. He would have to wash it off later.

Ashley stepped forward as Shepard carefully lifted up his master's body. He was weak though and nearly stumbled. Ashley caught him quickly and helped Shepard place the body on the nearby bed. Shepard placed his hands together across his chest, covering the wound. He paused to examine the body one last time.

He got up and looked around, ignoring his wounds. His team had walked forward into the room, examining…and waiting. Shepard ignored them for now and walked towards the urn filled with ash and incense. From a nearby bag, he took a stick of incense out and examined it.

"Do you still have that light?" Shepard asked. Ashley nodded and took it out. She lit the stick and stepped back as Shepard stuck it into the urn, another prayer amongst others. He found the mat that his master used to kneel on and sat down, one leg propped up and the other on the ground, his arm holding himself up. Quietly and without expression, he watched the incense he planted burn slowly and filled the room with its own fragrance.

"Do you want us to leave?" Tali asked. Her people believed in worshiping their ancestors and most of the time they would do it in private.

"Do what you want," Shepard said simply and quietly. "I don't care."

Ashley sat down next to Shepard, close enough that he knew she was there. Garrus and Tali helped Kaidan down to the ground who was still slightly dizzy from before. Liara stayed back and kept her silence, knowing she was seeing something personal. Even Wrex sat down though he sat in the corner and took a quiet nap, carefully making sure he didn't snore.

Ashley quietly took a pack of Medi-Gel from her satchel and took Shepard's wounded hand, pouring the gel-like substance on the wound. Shepard rubbed the rest on his stomach and felt it begin to clot and heal the wounds. He kept his silence though, not even wincing once.

"We all know this mission is dangerous," Ashley said, her voice barely a whisper. "But came along willingly. We can leave anytime, but we won't. We're with you to the end. If we die, we will never blame you for it."

"You say that now," Shepard said, matching her tone. "But opinions change. _Your_ opinions can change. And I don't know how _I'll_ react if it happens."

"I think you'll be able to move on," Ashley stated quietly. "You have before and that won't change."

"You don't know anything about me," Shepard whispered. Ashley thought she heard…agony in his voice.

"Because you won't tell us anything about you," Ashley replied.

"Why should I?" Shepard asked, still staring at the burning incense.

"Because you want to," Ashley answered. "Don't you're the only one who can read people. We all know you want to talk to us, about anything. We can see it. We can't force you though."

Shepard was silent for a time.

"What happened on Elysium, Shepard?" Ashley asked. "During the Blitz? You two met each other then, right? Tell us about it."

Shepard was silent for a while.

"Not now," Shepard said. "I'm tired and it's a long story. Ask me later and I promise I'll tell you." Ashley glanced at Shepard.

"Pinky-promise?" Ashley said, knowing how ridiculous it sounded. She even held out her pinky.

Shepard looked at her and for a brief second, he though he saw Jane holding out her own pinky. Jane with her red hair and green eyes.

"What are you, five?" Shepard said, smiling. He sighed. "Fine." He took her pinky with his own and promised.

They didn't say anything afterwards. They all just watched the incense burn down until it burned out, leaving the room with the smell of roses. They will never forget the smell.

Shepard burned down the building with his master's body still inside. They all watched _that_ burned down as well, silently and with patience.

Shepard let his team take the bomb onboard the Normandy and they left the red planet of Agebinium together. Once onboard, Shepard cleaned and polished his knife quietly in his room, asking everyone not to disturb even unless it was urgent.

No one did.

* * *

I kind of got impatient with this chapter. I was originally going to describe Wrex and Shepard running and Hal ramming the Grizzly over the cliff but it just didn't work. Plus I wanted to quickly get to the fight between Elanos and Shepard. Try to forgive me.

Next chapter will be an extra answering a question a reader asked me. After that, we'll be delving into the War Hero story a little more. However, I should probably add a chapter for my Fable story before then.

Watching National Treasure (the first one). They say the word "clue" too much. "It's a clue! A clue!" "It's a fake clue!" "You see a clue? Where!" Sounds like freakin' Blues Clues. Good movie regardless. They're making a third one, which should be fun.

Prototype is amazing. Playing now, consuming their bodies, absorbing their memories, leaping tall buildings. It's all good. Only gripe is that they're too many enemies coming at you at the same time. It can be very frustrating, especially if you're just trying to get from point A to point B and then a helicopter starts shooting at you because you were the only person wearing a hood at that particular time. Other than that, it's bloody good fun.

Cheers.


	29. Extra: Cleaning Up

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«Extra: _SSV Normandy_: Engineering Deck: Vehicle Bay»

«or Cleaning Up»

"What is Shepard?" Garrus asked out of the blue.

"I'm sorry?" Kaidan asked.

The turian and the human were in the garage cleaning their weapons. They both had their guns taken apart with the parts on separate towels, each piece carefully placed in order so they could put them back together again. Their tools, as well as their fingers, had dirt and grime all over them, though they didn't mind. They were used to it.

Ashley was by her locker, making little adjustments to her dirtied and scratched Level I Phoenix Medium Armor. However, as she did, she couldn't help but look completely and utterly bored. It almost looked like she didn't really care about the armor anymore. She couldn't help but notice how insignificant it had become in so short a time. Ashley knew that she would soon have to replace it entirely. On this mission, her armor would soon be obsolete.

On the wide expanse of the garage floor, Tali was practicing her quarian blade forms. She began with slow, graceful moves that caused her blade to arc through the air. It almost seemed akin to slow dance moves, with the subtle shifting of her weight from one leg to the other. She moved her blade across her body, making elegant movements with her hands and legs. The forms did not look powerful, but that was mainly because she was practicing them at a slow and steady pace, so she could train her muscles to make these moves instinctively. Tali didn't mind the slow movements; it allowed her mind to wander.

Sitting beside the equipment-cleaning table, Wrex snored.

Meanwhile, Garrus was asking Kaidan a question.

"So, what is he?" Garrus asked.

"What do you mean?" Kaidan asked in return.

"Well, you know how the Alliance has these so called 'classes?' Garrus said. "Well, what's the Commander's class?" Kaidan laughed.

"Well, first of all," Kaidan said. "Those 'classes' that you're talking about are not official. Some bored marines made them up way back when. If they are mentioned by the Alliance, they're called 'Military Specialization.' So, my 'Military Specialization' is the Sentinel, because I tend to use both my biotics and my tech. Yours would be closer to the Infiltrator, with your proficiency with the sniper rifle and your tech."

"Yeah, I know all about that," Garrus said, replacing the barrel of his pistol. "So…what 'Military Specialization' is Shepard?"

Kaidan paused in his work, furrowing his brow. Garrus had a very good question. What class _was_ the Commander?

"Well, when I first met him, he seemed to be more of a Soldier," Kaidan reasoned. "Because he valued more up-close and personal combat, what with his expertise in the knife. But he also seemed to be able to use his Omni-Tool effectively, which would likely be more along the lines of an Infiltrator. However, he's also got that biotic thing going on, which would put him more along the lines of the Vanguard."

Garrus paused.

"You have absolutely no idea, do you?" Garrus stated bluntly.

"I didn't say that," Kaidan told him. "I was just pointing out that it would be very hard to classify someone like the Commander. He has such a wide range of skills and abilities that it's very difficult to classify him."

"So you have absolutely no idea," Garrus restated.

"I never said that I didn't know-!" Kaidan told him.

"But you don't know," Garrus said.

"Why are you harassing me about this?" Kaidan asked defensively.

"I'm not harassing you!" Garrus stated.

"Sure feels like it," Kaidan said. "What, with you continually hounding me about what I know and I don't know."

"I'm not hounding you!" Garrus told him. "I'm just stating that there is something that you don't know!"

"How on earth could you come to a conclusion like that if you won't let me tell you what I know?" Kaidan asked.

"Because I asked a simple question and you're refusing to answer it," Garrus said. "You're giving long winded answers that dance around the actual subject matter."

"I'm not dancing around the subject!" Kaidan told him. "I'm merely explaining points that help strengthen my main point."

"But you're not saying the main point, which would be if you know what class the Commander is," Garrus pointed out, setting aside his pistol, which was put back together. He moved on to his sniper rifle.

"Well, you interrupted me before I could get to my main point," Kaidan told him.

"Because it didn't seem like you were getting to your point any time soon," Garrus told him. "Which usually means that you don't know what point you're trying to make which in turn means you don't know the answer to my question."

"Well, how can you come to that conclusion so quickly?" Kaidan asked. "You don't know if I was actually trying to make a point or if I was stalling."

"Sounded like you were stalling," Garrus said casually.

"But maybe I wasn't," Kaidan told him, beginning to put his pistol back together.

"Then what's your answer?" Garrus asked him, looking down the sight of his rifle.

"I was getting to that before you interrupted me," Kaidan stated.

"I'm not interrupting you now, am I?" Garrus pointed out. "So tell me what class you think Commander Shepard is."

Kaidan was silent as he finished putting his pistol back together.

"You don't know, do you?" Garrus stated.

Kaidan looked down the sight of his pistol, pulling the hammer back.

He pulled the trigger and the hammer snapped forward.

"He's Commander John Shepard," Kaidan said simply. Garrus paused.

"Good answer," Garrus commented.

They finished cleaning their weapons and moved onto their armor.

Garrus peaked a glance over his shoulder and watched Tali move through each of her forms. She was captivating.

"By the way, where's Liara?" Kaidan asked.

"I dunno," Garrus answered. "She rarely leaves the Med-Bay."

"Probably shy," Kaidan noted.

"Well, there's shy," Garrus said. "And then there's just plain creepy. She doesn't really do much during missions. Just kind of stays close to the Commander."

"You think that's creepy?" Kaidan asked.

"Don't you?" Garrus asked.

"I just think she's really shy around people she's not used to," Kaidan told the turian. "She's trying to find her place among us. Trying to see where she fits in." Garrus sighed.

"Well she better do it soon," Garrus said. "Otherwise, we'll probably end up leaving her on some uncharted planet."

"That'll be the Commander's decision," Kaidan chuckled.

Garrus continued watching Tali swing her blade through the air, slightly mesmerized. Tali glanced at Garrus and paused in her forms. She waved at him and gave him a smile. Garrus waved back, giving her a smile. Realizing he was staring, he quickly turned away and took a gulp of water from his canteen.

"So when're you going to tap that ass?" Kaidan asked out of the blue, glancing at Tali.

Garrus coughed out all the water from his mouth in a large burst.

"Oh, so you know what I mean!" Kaidan said, laughing. "I didn't know you knew human lingo!"

"Y-Yes I know a little human lingo!" Garrus exclaimed in a hushed voice, careful so that Tali didn't overhear. "Is that really a necessary question to ask?"

"What?" Kaidan asked, feigning cluelessness. "I was just asking if there was anything going on between you two."

"N-No!" Garrus stuttered. "N-Nothing!"

"Your words say one thing but your stuttering says something completely different," Kaidan noted.

"That's because I'm not used to these kinds of questions!" Garrus exclaimed. "It's embarrassing!"

"Embarrassing because you don't find her attractive?" Kaidan asked, loving every moment of this. "Jeez, Garrus, how shallow are you? You don't even know what she looks like!"

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!" Garrus exclaimed, shooting his hands out to the side, spilling the rest of his canteen on the sleeping Wrex nearby. "I'm just saying that this isn't really the kind of question you ask someone!"

Kaidan's attention was past Garrus now, at the lumbering form of a half-asleep krogan rising from his seated position. Garrus turned to look and saw Wrex, who was hunched over and digging the sand from his eyes, which were still blurry. Groggily, the krogan took a step forward. His stomach grumbled.

"Hungry…" Wrex muttered. "Need…meat…"

Wrex groggily looked at Garrus through eyes that were still partially asleep.

He smiled.

"Kaidan," Garrus said nervously, taking a step back. "What exactly do sleep-walking krogans like to eat?"

Wrex began to drool.

"I don't know," Kaidan said simply.

"Oh crap," Garrus moaned.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Shepard rode the elevator down to the Engineering Deck, reading a report Captain Anderson gave him. Most of it was boring, but he still had to read it. The History of the Spectres didn't really interest him at all but if he didn't read it, the Ambassador would probably yell at him at one point or another, so he might as well. The Ambassador was going to yell at him regardless of what he did but he could hope otherwise.

He was originally going to read the report in his room but Pressly kept giving him paperwork to fill out, which was rather distracting. Plus, the good doctor Chakwas kept on hounding him about his injuries and such. Hopefully, down in the garage, he would find some peace and quiet.

He was wrong.

When the elevator doors opened slowly, he saw Wrex pinning Garrus to the ground, drool leaking from his mouth and onto the turian's face. Tali was using her hands to try and push Wrex's face away from Garrus' head. Kaidan was trying to push Wrex's body off of Garrus as well as his own. Wrex also had Kaidan pinned down by sitting on his legs, forming a wedge between Garrus and Wrex. Ashley had Wrex in the sleeper-hold, one arm wrapped around the krogan's neck and her other arm pushing Wrex's head forward, trying to cut off the circulation of oxygen.

In one one-hundredth of a second, Shepard made a hundred wrong assumptions about what his team was doing and why.

When the elevator doors fully opened, his team froze in shock and stared at Shepard.

Shepard's blank face betrayed no emotion of any kind.

The members of his team's emotions ranged from shock to confusion with a sprinkle of hunger.

They stared at each other for a moment longer.

Shepard reached over and pressed the up button.

They continued to stare at each other.

"You guys are weird," was all Shepard said as the elevator doors closed and brought him back up.

Shepard decided to go visit Liara and see what she was up to.

* * *

My attempt at being funny. Hopefully it worked. It was just me being kind of random.

Been watching Naruto: Shippuden. It's all right, I guess, though I still prefer the manga over the anime. Still, there's one episode that stands out in my mind, which is the one where one of the characters is dealing with the death of his teacher. There's a scene where he is basically holding in all his emotions about it and when his father talks to him, he just starts bawling. That whole scene wasn't in the manga but I loved it. The emotions were just so raw. The clip I'm talking about is on youtube. Give it a watch if you want to. Link's below.

youtube . com /watch?v=I-vIozLINlU

Don't really have anything else to say.

Oh, and Happy 4th of July for the Americans.

Cheers.


	30. Chapter 22: War Hero, Pt 1

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«-3.04: _SSV_ _Normandy_: Living Quarters: Medical Bay»

«or War Hero, Pt. 1»

"You sustained multiple cuts across your body, most of them harmless," Dr. Chakwas told Shepard as he sat on the bed. "The laceration across your belly came narrowly close to slicing open your intestines, which would have caused you to bleed out. You will still have a scar, though you're used to that kind have thing. Medi-Gel can't fix that. However, the wound you sustained to your left hand is your main concern. Your movement with it will be restricted while it heals."

"Goddammit," Shepard groaned as he tried to move the fingers in his left hand. They only moved a little bit before they stopped. It felt like he had hit a brick wall. He simply couldn't move it anymore.

"You're lucky that the wound didn't paralyze your hand all together," Dr. Chakwas warned him.

"Yeah, well, I'm just lucky I didn't lose any of my limbs," Shepard told her, looking at the new white scars on his hand and his stomach. Another mark added to his repertoire of hundreds.

"Yes, according to what I heard, you were fighting against your teacher," Chakwas said, crossing her arms. "And that he was merciless."

"'Merciless' doesn't even begin to describe it," Shepard told her.

"It's hard to believe that your own teacher would try to kill you," Chakwas said. Shepard looked at her for a moment.

"Our relationship wasn't exactly the student-teacher kind," Shepard said. "Or at least, not the typical kind."

"How so?" Chakwas asked. Shepard sighed.

"He only taught me anything because I amused him," Shepard told her. "I was his little punching bag and stress reliever while I was with him. Honorable man, though, when you got down to it. Never attacked anyone who was unaware of his presence. Gave each of his enemy the respect they deserved. Other than that, though, he loved to fight. Human, turian, batarian, krogan, asari, man, woman, beast, he didn't care. Didn't care who he fought just so long as he fought _something_. He loved every minute of it."

"Is that why he brought you to Agebinium?" Chakwas asked. "So he could fight you again?"

Shepard paused in thought.

"That's what he always said while I was fighting him," Shepard said. "But in the end, the only person who would ever know the reasons why he did anything would be him and he's dead. That's the way it is with the world. You can pretend to know someone but you don't really know them."

"Some people you know," Chakwas countered.

"You can pretend to know them but you're only fooling yourself," Shepard told her. "Because people can always surprise you by doing what you didn't expect."

Chakwas could only remain silent. She didn't know how else to answer his statement.

"According to your team," Chakwas began again. "Elanos talked a lot about how you would bring…misfortune for your team."

"He said I would bring them all death," Shepard corrected.

"Yes," Chakwas said. "What do you think?"

"Whatever," Shepard answered, laying down on the bed and using his arms to cover his eyes. That was his way of saying he was losing interest. Or it was a way to avoid the topic all together. Chakwas knew it was one or the other.

"So when was the first time you met Elanos Haliat?" Chakwas asked. "Before Elysium, right?"

"It was a _long_ time ago," Shepard told her. "_Long_ before Elysium."

"Any specifics?" Chakwas asked.

"Not any time soon," Shepard answered.

"You don't feel like telling me about it?" Chakwas asked, not surprised.

"Not really," Shepard answered.

"But you'll tell your teammates," Chakwas stated.

Shepard was silent.

"That's what you said, right?" Chakwas asked. "To Ashley? That you would tell her about Elysium?"

"Looks like you've found a new best friend," Shepard muttered.

"She's just curious about you," Chakwas told him simply. "Some of the other crewmembers are curious as well. They wouldn't mind hearing a few stories about you. The Skyllian Blitz, the Torfan Raid. You know, stuff like that. Just to help the crew get to know you a little better."

"I don't need them to get to know me," Shepard told her. "They just need to follow my orders."

"That may be true," Chakwas said, glancing at the nearby computer screen. "And if it were any other people on your team, you wouldn't even bother. I wouldn't have even bothered trying to convince you. But there's a big difference this time. There's a reason why you'll tell this team about yourself."

"And what is that, oh wise sage?" Shepard groaned.

"You like this team," Chakwas told him simply as she sat down to read a report she had just been sent. "Because they remind you of your last team."

Shepard opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. Silently, he listened to the typing of the keyboard as Chakwas made her little notes as she read her report. The silence, though deafening, was not uncomfortable. The minutes ticked by without a word.

Much later, he got up from the bed and walked to the door without another word.

"Good night, Commander," Chakwas told him over her shoulder.

"Night, Hacksaw," Shepard told her over his shoulder.

The door closed behind him.

\::/::\::/::\::/

_03:35_

His nearby clock showed him the time as he stared at it. Shepard was so deep in thought that he didn't even bother to sleep. He wasn't tired at all. Spending time on so many different time conditions on so many different planets tended to make a person jetlagged beyond belief. The different planets in the galaxy would always be different then Earth Standard Time of 24 hours. Most of the difference was insignificant that it didn't matter, but Shepard had been on planets that had 48-hour days, which meant he had to go to sleep two times in one day, which tended to throw off many people's schedules.

So being awake at 03:35 in the morning didn't really matter much to him. What did matter was that he was hungry. He had forgotten to eat dinner. Sighing, he rolled out of bed. He put on his loose fit pants as he debated whether or not to put on a shirt. No one was going to be out this late anyways so he left his room barefoot and without a shirt on.

Shepard entered the Mess Hall, trying to flex the fingers on his left hand as he did, working out the atrophied muscles. Walking up to the panel, he looked at the food that was available at the time. Luckily, the menu had changed from the dinner menu to the breakfast menu. Who else wouldn't want breakfast at three o' clock in the morning?

Choosing his meal, he pressed a button on the screen and waited for the food to arrive. He didn't really know how the food was made or even where it came from. All he knew was that when he chose his meal, the food appeared in the oven, ready for eating. He didn't really care. Food was food no matter where it came from.

Picking up the bowl of cereal, he made his way to the nearby table and sat down on the bench. Quietly, he began to eat.

"Oh!" came a voice from behind him. Shepard turned and saw Liara, dressed in a kind of asari robe. Shepard noticed that it hugged her figure perfectly.

"Morning," Shepard said cheerfully. "Didn't think anyone else was up this early."

"I couldn't sleep," Liara said, cautiously walking forward.

"Bad dream?" Shepard asked.

"No…just a lot on my mind," Liara told him.

"Care to share?" Shepard asked.

"No!" Liara said, hands up defensively. "I really wouldn't want to impose if you wanted to be alone."

"No, I could use some company, actually," Shepard told her. "Take a seat." It almost sounded like an order, though there was a hint of a playful smile on his face. Liara almost gulped as she sat down across from the Commander.

"So," Shepard said, continuing to eat. "What exactly are you thinking about?" Liara reddened and looked away at the ground. Shepard chewed his food, waiting patiently. He had all the time in the world.

"I really wouldn't want to place this burden on you," Liara said quietly, still not looking at Shepard.

"A problem is only a burden if you make it one," Shepard replied. Liara bit her lip, unsure if she should continue. Shepard looked at her for a moment.

"When was the last time you've eaten something?" Shepard asked. Liara started at the strange question and then thought about it for a moment.

"Um…" Liara said aloud. That was all Shepard needed to take a large spoonful of the cereal and push it into Liara's mouth. Her eyes shot open as wide as they could have without popping out of her head.

"You really need to remember to eat something once in a while," Shepard sighed. "Now remember to chew before you swallow." Liara sat in a sort of shocked stupor for a moment before she moved her head back, letting the spoon to slide out of her mouth. She slowly began to chew the so-called 'cereal' then her eyes brightened, as she tasted it.

"What is it?" Liara asked, still chewing.

"It's what we humans call Lucky Charms," Shepard said simply.

"It's…tasty," she said, swallowing it.

"You can get a bowl of it, if you'd like," Shepard said, gesturing with his spoon to the nearby panel. Liara got up and got herself a bowl of the so-called 'Lucky Charms.' Shepard watched her as she retrieved the bowl. She sat down across from Shepard and began to eat.

A comfortable silence passed between them.

"So what exactly is bothering you so badly you can't sleep?" Shepard asked again. Liara paused in her food and looked at Shepard this time. Shepard waited patiently. Liara looked down at her cereal and pushed the food around in a circle.

"I've been thinking about my role on the Normandy," Liara began quietly. "I realize that I am only on this mission for my knowledge of the Protheans. And I'm grateful for it! I really do wish to help you to find Saren and my…mother. It's just that…"

Shepard waited patiently as she struggled over the words she wanted.

"I just wish I could be more useful," Liara finally told him, eyes downcast and face crestfallen. "During the missions and assignments we go on, I just kind of…hang back and let everyone else do the work. I become more of a burden to everyone; a nuisance that needs to be taken care of. That's all. I just wish I was more useful to you."

"You wish you were more useful…to me?" Shepard asked slowly, cocking an eyebrow.

It was only then that Liara realized how that sounded and _what_ it sounded like. And if she was embarrassed before, she was bright red now.

"I mean more useful to the _team_!" Liara exclaimed, trying to cover up what she said. "I just wished I could be more useful to the _team_! I mean, I-I-I will still be useful to _you_ if you need me be."

"Really?" Shepard asked, raising both eyebrows.

"Ack! No! That's even worse," Liara stammered, trying to get her words together. "What I am trying to say is-!" she stopped herself when she saw Shepard laughing to himself.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist," Shepard laughed. Liara looked away angrily.

"You're mean, you know that, Commander?" Liara told him.

"True, true," Shepard agreed. He took another spoonful of cereal. "But I get what you're saying. You want to be more useful to the mission. I get it."

Liara nodded slowly and continued to eat her cereal. Another comfortable silence flowed between them. Shepard looked at Liara for a moment, and then got up and moved to the panel. He pushed a button and got himself a glass of orange juice. Returning to the table, he looked at the orange juice swirling in the glass. He looked over at Liara as he placed the glass on the table.

Liara looked up.

Shepard pushed the glass over the table.

"Ah!" Liara exclaimed as she reached out with her biotics. She grabbed the glass straight out of the air with a glow of blue energy. The glass stopped in mid-air and floated. Not even a drop of the juice fell from the glass as Liara placed it back onto the table. Shepard smiled.

"You see?" Shepard stated. "You're more useful than you think you are."

Liara looked at Shepard for a moment, surprise written all over her face. Then the surprise changed to a kind and warm smile that betrayed her true personality. Shepard smiled back and handed her the glass of orange juice. Liara took it (their fingers touched for a second) and drank from it. It tasted nice.

"If you'd like-" Shepard began. The sound of Tali and Garrus rounding the corner from the elevator cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

"Oh, evening Commander," Garrus said. "You up?"

"Obviously," Shepard said. "And it's technically the morning, I think."

"Evening Liara," Tali greeted warmly.

"Good evening, Tali'Zorah nar Rayya," Liara greeted politely.

"Please, just Tali," Tali answered.

"I just said that I think it was the morning but obviously no one listens," Shepard muttered.

"You say something, Commander?" Garrus asked.

"Nothing important," Shepard said. "So why are you two up?"

"Couldn't sleep, Commander," Tali said.

"That seems to be going around," Shepard said, not particularly looking at Liara's direction.

"It was the silence," Garrus said as he walked over to get them both some food.

"Yes, how exactly can you all sleep in a ship this quiet?" Tali asked as she sat down.

"The silence bothers you?" Liara asked.

"Usually when a ship is this quiet, it means an engine has died or worse, an air filter's malfunctioned," Tali explained.

"Just…how old are your ships?" Shepard asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, most of our ships date back to when the geth drove us from our home world," Tali said bitterly.

"That was over 200 years ago!" Liara exclaimed.

"Yes," Tali said. "Our ships are old."

"Dang, that sucks," Shepard exclaimed. "So why are you up Garrus?"

"Because Tali wouldn't stop bugging me," Garrus said simply.

"You didn't need to get out of bed if you didn't want to!" Tali told him.

"I got out of bed because I was under the impression that you would continue to bug me if I didn't," Tali said simply. Tali crossed her arms and seemed to pout. Shepard couldn't be sure with her mask.

"Will you love birds quiet down?" Wrex grumbled as he walked out of the elevator.

"Why are you up?" Garrus asked.

"I haven't killed anything in over a day," Wrex replied. "It's eating away at my conscience."

"How wonderful," Shepard said sarcastically.

"Where the hell is the meat on this thing?" Wrex groaned as he looked at the menu. Ashley soon came out of wherever she was yawning, followed by Kaidan, also yawning.

"What the hell? Is everyone up?" Shepard exclaimed, as he looked around, angrily confused.

"I guess so," Liara said smiling.

"Can't sleep with all this noise going on," Kaidan noted, yawning again. "What, with Ashley talking in her sleep about how she wanted to be ravished by the Comm-" Ashley quickly grabbed Kaidan in a headlock and cut off circulation to the brain.

"What was that?" Shepard asked.

"Nothing! Nothing at all, Commander!" Ashley laughed sheepishly. Shepard stared at them.

"You guys are weird," was all Shepard said to them.

They were soon together, eating what they were eating. Tali only drank orange juice and she did it through one of her special straw-like devices that hooked up to her suit. She said she could eat later in a clean room. Wrex was grumbling about how they only had bacon this early in the morning. Garrus was sitting as far from Wrex as possible for some reason (possibly due to that little fiasco they had a little while back).

Shepard watched them all with a soft smile on his face. He was enjoying all of this.

Ashley noticed this and pressed her luck.

"So, Commander," Ashley began. "What happened on Elysium?"

Shepard looked at her.

"You're being unusually blunt, aren't you Chief?" Shepard said smiling. The room had become uncomfortably silent.

"I'm just wondering," Ashley said simply. "I mean, we all don't know that much about you. That Haliat guy we met raised even more questions. So I think we all should have the right to ask you questions."

"Do you want me to answer them all?" Shepard asked.

"Wouldn't hurt," Ashley told him. She looked him straight in the eye.

"Why on Earth would I do something like that?" Shepard leaned back and placed his arms over his eyes, hands limp. "You can easily read any file the Alliance has on that subject."

"Well," Kaidan said. "Think of it as a chance for us to get to know you better."

"This job doesn't require you to know me," Shepard sighed simply. "You just have to do as I say, no questions asked."

"Even if it's an illegal order?" Ashley asked.

"Don't get smart with me," Shepard shot at her.

"All I'm saying, sir," Ashley said. "Is that we'd feel a little better about following your orders if we knew a little bit about you."

"One, you can find out about me on any vid or file the Alliance has," Shepard said. "And two, that's bullshit. You've all followed my orders pretty damn well so far without any questions asked. You're just curious about me."

His fists were clenched now, even the partially paralyzed one.

"Big surprise," Garrus stated. "Your file is completely bare of any hard evidence and what they _do_ have on you is sparse of any real facts."

"Not really my problem, now is it?" Shepard told him.

"We just want to hear the facts, that's all," Garrus stated simply.

"Get them from someone else," Shepard told him. "I don't care to talk about it."

His voice began to have an aggravated tone to it.

"Why not?" Wrex asked. "You afraid?"

"Watch it, lizard," Shepard stated coldly.

"It's a simple question, really," Kaidan defended Wrex. "All we're asking is for you to tell us what happened on Elysium. This shouldn't be a problem should it?"

Shepard began tapping his foot irritably. He didn't answer.

"We just want to get to know you a little better, skipper," Ashley said. "That's all-"

Shepard slammed his fists into the table.

"WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU PEOPLE SO GODDAMN ANNOYING!" Shepard shouted.

Everyone leaned away, shocked by his outburst. Shepard stared at the table and at his fists. He wasn't breathing heavily; years of training had made controlling his breathing second nature.

"Jesus Christ!" Shepard exclaimed. He shot to his feet and paced away from the mess hall, pausing to look at nothing, hands on his hips and exposing his scarred back to his team.

Ashley stared at Shepard, lost. She realized now that she may have been too eager. She pushed too hard on Shepard. She sighed.

"I apologize, Commander," Ashley said softly. She got up. "I'll leave you to-"

"Sit your pretty ass down," Shepard ordered over his shoulder. "You wanted to know so badly, didn't you?"

Shepard turned around and returned to his seat. He didn't look at anyone for a while. Ashley sat down and waited patiently. Kaidan leaned forwards slightly, intrigued. Liara also leaned forward a bit, though timidly. Tali placed her arms on the table while Garrus folded his. Wrex leaned against the wall and took a seat on the floor.

"Okay, how to begin this?" Shepard pondered, scratching the stubble on his chin. "Well, I had just graduated from the N7 training course. I was a Serviceman 2nd Class at the time. About a month before the Skyllian Blitz occurred, the officer in charge of the defense of the colony on Elysium, Major Troy Paris, had specifically asked for additional reinforcements that had the special N7 training. I don't know whose ass he had to kiss to get that to happen but it did. The Alliance sent four of us there, a well-sized squad to help out. The Major could have gotten more but they were needed elsewhere. Elysium was well established at the time that no one thought that anyone would attack it. Which was what made the Blitz such a surprise. Most of us on Elysium didn't even know the batarians were sore at us; the rest had never even seen a batarian before. For some reason, they all looked to me for leadership.

Anyways, four of us were sent to assist with the troop training. It was me and three other servicemen. Peter and Andrew Lamont were brothers though I could never figure out if it was by blood or not because they were so different. Andrew was the strong, silent type. Barely said a word other than the occasional 'I'll kill you if you talk bad about my mother again.' He was a biotic, an L2. Stronger than any of us though and he proved it during the blitz. I'll get to that later.

Peter was his younger brother. He was a timid guy. Nervous, quiet, had a bit of a stutter and easily scared, he was more suited for Intelligence than being on the front lines. But wherever Andrew went, Peter went. You couldn't separate them. They were always playing chess against each other in their spare time. Of course, Peter would always beat Andrew. On the battlefield, however, Peter was a different person. Liked to kill people from afar or from the shadows when they didn't know it. It was like he had a split personality that could kill just as effectively as ever. We called him Simon when he started killing. And he answered to it just fine.

Then there was James Wong. Great guy. Funny too, loved practical jokes. He was more or less my partner throughout the N7 training. Everyone had dubbed us the 'Sons of Thunder' because we struck fast, hard and without warning. At least, that's what James told me. I always thought it was because we accidently electrocuted one of the instructors when he was taking a shower. Andrew and Peter said it was because we never really thought about what we were doing before we did it. I didn't really care that much. James also had a habit of always agreeing with everything I said. I could tell him the sky was red and he would agree. Strange guy when you got down to it.

But he was…my friend, I guess."

/

2176

…Seven Years Ago…

/

_Playing playlist entitled "John's Oldies"…_

_Selecting random track…_

_Track #48: "_Battlefield" _by_ "Blind Guardian"_ from_ "A Night at the Opera (2002)"

_Playing track…_

"_It cannot be seen but there's blood on the green  
Only God knows I'm innocent  
Take me, take me home,  
A dark seed reigns in me like the Storm rules over the sea  
I challenge thee, do not cross this bridge alone_

_Don't dare me now  
The threatening shadows will pass by_

_They're getting closer now  
Open your eyes  
Wake up my dear young friend  
And hate shall fade away_

_I will not move, yet  
I'll stand still instead_

_There on the battlefield he stands  
Down on the battlefield he's lost  
And on the battlefield it ends_

_War and anger shall reign  
The clash of iron can be heard  
By blindness you're driven insane  
I'm lost in anguish and grief  
Sorrow won't wane 'til you die  
A shattered body deeply hurt  
And darkness will cover the light  
It's gone forevermore_

_The field's been left in sorrow  
The father and the son they're gone  
The Sun shines bright and anger rises  
Lorn and lonely torn apart  
Don't you think it's time to stop now  
We were charmed and fooled by the old serpent's kiss_

_Let's pray that heaven is on our side  
Through violence and horror shall honor arise  
So let's pray and blessed shall be our leader  
We follow the noble and bright_

_Don't you hear me crying, crying  
Come take me away  
I hallow thy name_

_There on the battlefield he stands  
Down on the battlefield he's lost  
And on the battlefield it ends_

_War and anger shall reign  
The clash of iron can be heard  
By blindness you're driven insane  
I'm lost in anguish and grief-"_

As Shepard lay asleep on the bench, listening to the music on his Omni-Tool, an elbow came crashing down straight onto his stomach, waking him up immediately. He was hardly surprised when he saw James' wicked grin shining brightly in front of him. Shepard tried to grab him but he doubled over and fell off the bench.

"What the hell was that for!" Shepard cried, wheezing for breath.

"You were snoring!" James' stated, crouching in front of him.

"Bullshit!" Shepard shouted. "You did it for kicks!"

"Yeah!" James agreed. "I guess I did!"

"What the-!" Shepard shouted. "You're not supposed to admit something like that!"

"I guess not!" James agreed.

"Then why the hell do you keep on agreeing with me?" Shepard shouted.

James stared at Shepard.

Shepard stared at James.

"You were snoring!" James accused cheerfully.

Shepard punched James in the genitals.

"Idiot," Shepard muttered as James collapsed onto the floor crying and rolling into the fetal position.

Shepard stood up and stretched out his back. He walked up the ramp towards his other two teammates, Peter and Andrew, leaving James to his well-deserved pain and agony.

Peter and Andrew were playing a holographic form of chess. Andrew's form, though seated, hunched over the hologram, his dark skin reflected in the glow of the chessboard. Had he been standing, he would have towered at 6'5", even though his muscles would have made him seem larger than that. He rubbed his head absently, partly because of the migraines he suffered from but also because he was stumped on his next move.

Peter, on the other hand, was the shortest of the team, standing at around 5'5". His lanky form sat pondering the chessboard, though he probably would have had his next ten moves planned out ahead of time. His brain just worked that way. The light from the holographic chessboard reflected not only his dark skin, but also the contact lenses he wore, which were pale blue.

Peter looked up from the board and noticed Shepard walking towards him.

"G-G-G-Good Morning, S-Sh-Shepard!" Peter stuttered cheerfully.

"Morning, Pete. Andrew," Shepard greeted them both.

Andrew gave him the slightest of nods before returning his attention to the board.

"Who's winning?" Shepard asked.

"Who-Who-Who-Who do you think?" Peter stated, smiling brightly.

Andrew grunted. Shepard still didn't know what that was supposed to mean exactly.

"D-Did-Did J-J-J-James wake you up again?" Peter asked.

"Yeah, he did," Shepard replied. He turned towards James' whimpering form. "How ya holding up, Jimmy?"

"ALL I KNOW IS PAIN!" James screamed in a high-pitched squeal.

"Nobody likes a whiner, Jimmy," Shepard stated.

Shepard walked towards the cockpit and gazed out the wide expanse of green fields that belonged to Elysium. Green hills rolled beneath the transport ship as it flew towards the colony.

"How much longer 'till we arrive, Pressly?" Shepard asked the navigator.

"We should reach Kronos in about 20 minutes," Pressly answered, running a hand through his hair. "We're just passing over the Elysian Fields. I'll let you know when we're there."

"Alright," Shepard answered. He took another glance at the rolling hills before turning back to his team members. "Alright! We land in 20 minutes!" he announced.

Peter turned off the chessboard and Andrew got up and grabbed his gear. James suddenly recovered from his pain and got up to grab his own gear. Shepard reached over to his own gear, checking to see if all his armor was still in place.

"Alright guys, I'm getting news from Kronos," the pilot called to him. "We're receiving orders from Major Troy that we are not to land."

"What?" Shepard exclaimed.

"Instead, we are to drop you off," the pilot said. "Literally. We drop you off and head back to the fleet up above."

"What, he wants us to _jump_?" James asked, confused. "What the hell is this all about?"

"He says that seeing a squad of N7 trained soldiers drop from the sky will be good for moral," the pilot explained.

"Is this guy an id-id-id-idiot?" Peter asked.

Andrew grunted in agreement.

"I'm sorry, guys, but its an order," the pilot said.

Shepard sighed, shaking his head.

"I don't know if this guy is an idiot or not," Shepard said. "But it's an order from a high-ranking officer. We have to follow it."

James sighed. Not because he didn't want to do it. Far from it; he was excited. N7's were trained to drop from the sky under all kinds of conditions. James sighed because there was no reason to do it.

"Alright, open the hatch," Shepard said.

The back opened up, light and wind spilling in. The transport hovered above the ground at around 10 feet. Shepard looked back.

"Pressly! Good luck on the Agincourt!" Shepard told him.

"Good luck with this asshole!" Pressly told him.

"Much appreciated," Shepard replied.

They all peered over the edged, unafraid. They had done this thousands of times before. This was second nature. Andrew dropped off first and landed on the ground with a thud, his gear strung over his shoulder in a bag. He walked forward and Peter dropped onto the spot where he just was. Peter ran forward to catch up to his older brother, allowing Shepard to drop onto the ground with ease. James followed him.

"Hell yeah!" James exclaimed. "The Sons of Thunder are here!"

Shepard shook his head at him. That was James for you.

"Let's go," Shepard said. He walked forward towards the base and his teammates followed behind him.

The wind gently touched the cheeks of the four soldiers as they walked across the base. All around them, drill sergeants were training the men, yelling at them and often telling them they were worthless. The soldiers took it all in stride. If they could take being yelled at in stride, they could take being shot at in stride.

Shepard could only look at these men and shake his head. They all had it so easy compared to what Shepard and his teammates went through.

"So, what can you tell me about this Major Troy?" James asked their guide.

"Well, he's a bit of an eccentric," the guide told them. "Always believes in a 'Glorious Battle of the Ages.'"

"Lovely," Shepard muttered.

"He's a good man though, once you get to know him," the guide continued. "A little rough around the edges but he means well enough."

"I'm sure he's a g-g-g-g-good man," Peter told him.

"Well, this'll be interesting," James grinned. "Huh, Johnny?"

"Don't call me that," Shepard scolded.

"If you say so, John!" James continued to grin like he didn't have a single care in the world.

They soon arrived at the main tent that served as the main headquarters. This was just temporary, though, until real buildings are built. So, in the meantime, they walked into the tent and met the Major.

The Major stood hunched over a folder of papers and reports. The team walked in, dropped their bags and saluted sharply. The Major looked over his shoulder and straightened. He was a short man, around the height of Peter, yet much older. He walked forward, hands behind his back.

He didn't return the salute.

"So these are the soldiers from the almighty N7, huh?" The Major examined the soldiers like he had just bought them. "Don't look like much, do ya? Hm."

The N7 soldiers kept their silence. They weren't asked a question.

The Major looked past them at the guide.

"Were they dropped off like I instructed?" he asked.

"Yes sir," the guide answered. "They were-"

"Then leave," The Major waved him away absently. "I'm sure you have other things to do. Hm."

"Yes sir," the guide saluted sharply and left the tent.

The N7 soldiers still saluted him. They weren't asked to stand at ease yet.

"What did they tell you?" The Major asked leisurely. "Before they shipped you off? What did your superiors tell you your job was here?"

"Sir!" Shepard said sharply, still saluting. "We were told that we were to assist you and serve as reinforcements for the colony on Elysium, sir!"

"Yes, that's what I told them I would do, wasn't it?" The Major said slowly. "But that's not…entirely…accurate. Oh, and at ease, gentlemen."

The N7 soldiers finally stood at ease, though they had not been saluted back.

"Gentlemen," the Major said, taking a slow step back unhurriedly. "What would you say if I told you that you are to train my men as N7 soldiers?"

Shepard furrowed his brow as James shot a quick look at Shepard, wondering what was going on. Andrew didn't move as Peter worked his jaw a little.

"Sir," Shepard began, picking his words carefully. "I would say that is impossible. Sir."

"How so?" The Major asked, uninterestedly.

"Sir," Shepard began again. "Firstly, you are elected and chosen by high-ranking officers to undergo N7 training. This is mainly because the N7 training program is a new feature for the Alliance and not wholly tested out. My companions and I are considered a second generation of graduates from N7. Secondly, it is highly unorthodox because we are all technically still enlisted personnel. Troopers and crewmen, so to speak. To be required to teach your men would be far higher than our rank. At our current rank, we take orders, not give them out. Sir."

"What makes you think I care about all that, soldier?" The Major asked.

Shepard didn't know how to answer that.

"I'm going to be frank with all of you," The Major said offhandedly. "The real reason why I had you all sent here was because in a few months, the Fleet Admirals are going to come inspect this place. When they do, I want them all to see that my soldiers are just as well trained as the N7's are. They'll be impressed, to say the least. That is my goal. And that is my order to the four of you. Train my men and I will give you whatever position you wish."

"Sir, with all due respect, that is not what they told us we would be doing," Peter said with no stuttering in his voice. He always seemed to summon enough courage to turn it on and off whenever it was best. "They told us that we would serving as reinforcements for the main troops. They didn't say anything about a teaching the soldiers. Sir."

"So? I don't care what you were _told_ that you'd be doing, I care only that you can carry out my orders as efficiently as the next person. I _will_ have the best military force in the Alliance and I will be recognized for it. Do you understand?" The Major stepped forward and stared at the four of them, a dangerous coldness in his eyes. Eyes that betrayed a mind that walked the border between hysteria and insanity. All four of them saw it.

"Yes sir," Shepard answered.

"Soon, the Alliance will see that _my_ army is the best that they've got," The Major said proudly, eyes looking to the distance, and a smile on his face. "_I_ will lead the best force into the Glorious Battle of the ages."

The four said nothing.

"So!" The Major exclaimed. "I will have you train my men. They will be N7 worthy by inspection time. And if not, I will have you all charged with insubordination and…maybe actions unbecoming of a soldier, just to spice things up. Do I make myself clear?"

"Sir! Yes sir!" They all stood straight and stiff.

"Good!" The Major said cheerfully. "Dismissed."

\::/::\::/::\::/

"That guy is an idiot," Peter stated plain and simple and without stuttering. The four of them were in a dark alleyway. Peter stood at the entryway, hands in his pockets and his blue eyes glowing. Andrew sat on the ground with his back to the wall. James leaned one shoulder against the wall while Shepard rested his back against the wall opposite Andrew.

Andrew grunted his agreement.

"What the hell was that all about?" James asked. "'I will have the best army for the Glorious Battle ahead!' Is this guy bat-shit bonkers? Who the hell put _him_ in charge?"

"His daddy's a Fleet Admiral," Shepard stated. "Probably had to kiss a bunch of ass to get his sonny-boy in the position he's in now."

"Well, that d-d-d-doesn't really matter n-n-n-no-now, does it?" Peter said. "H-Ho-Ho-How the hell are we gonna train a-a-a-a-all those soldiers?"

"We're not," James said. "We're reporting this to the Alliance Brass, plain and simple."

"Good idea," Shepard said sarcastically. "And who the hell are they going to believe? A high-ranking official who's daddy's a Fleet Admiral or four servicemen with N7 training? The same N7 Training Program that are said to kidnap children across the colonies, train them to be killers by subjecting to stuff like forcing to watch dogs butcher a boar. The same N7 Training Program that is rumored to be worse than the Spartan training?"

"Which one?" James asked. "The historically accurate Spartans, the Zack Snyder Spartans from 300 or the Halo Spartans?"

"Who the hell's Zack Snyder?" Shepard asked, confused. "You know what? Don't answer that because it doesn't matter. N7 has a pretty bad reputation as it is. My point is we can say all we want but it won't count for jack shit."

James nodded (of course he would), as well as Peter. Andrew nodded as well. They all knew it was true.

"So, what do we do, Johnny?" James asked. Shepard sighed and rubbed his eyes. This was gonna suck.

"We're gonna have to train them," Shepard said. "We've got no choice."

Everyone nodded, knowing it was the only choice they had.

"I really wish someone shoot that guy," James said with a dark look on his face. "'Cause he doesn't know what the hell he's doing."

"Plus, he's an asshole," Andrew said in deep voice. Everyone looked at him, surprise written on their faces. Shepard could only shake his head and dread the coming months. This was probably the worst usage of military resources ever. They were soldiers, not teachers.

They didn't have time for this.

\::/::\::/::\::/

The Major's phone was ringing. As he checked it, he noticed that the number was from outside the base. He paused as he considered whom he knew outside the base that could get by his secretary's number.

Odd. So he answered it.

When he did, he recognized the face on the vid immediately that was scowling at him.

"Just what the hell are you thinking, Paris?" Elanos Haliat scolded.

"Can anyone trace this call?" the Major asked quickly.

"Of course not. I'm not stupid, unlike you," Elanos crossed his arms. "Do you think you could bring in four N7 trained soldiers into your base without me knowing?"

"I can assure you, I was not aware that the Alliance was sending me those soldiers-" the Major began.

"Bullshit!" Elanos exclaimed. "I have eyes and ears everywhere, Paris. I know you put in a request for those guys. Just what exactly do you have in mind?"

"Look, Haliat," the Major raised a hand. "This is nothing! I just asked for reinforcements and additional troops. It wasn't much, really. Standard procedure. All it did was assure the Brass that Elysium was well fortified and ready for anything. They're nothing really, just four men that I have doing odd jobs around the base. Nothing for you to worry about."

"For your sake, Paris," Elanos warned. "I hope that was all it is. Need I remind you that you have more at stake here than I do?"

"You don't, Haliat," the Major said. "I'm well aware of the consequences of sabotage."

"And treason," Elanos reminded him.

"Yes, that too," the Major said.

"Good," Elanos said.

"When it goes down, just make sure I have everything I asked for," the Major said.

"Don't worry, Major," Elanos reassured him. "Once Elysium belongs to the Terminus Systems, you will be shipped away to one of our planetary resorts. Any of your choosing and you will be given whatever you desire. Plus, you shall be given 50.75 billion credits in your account."

"Don't forget it," the Major threatened. "I could expose your plot to the Alliance just as easily as you expose me to them."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Elanos said sarcastically.

"Is there anything else, Haliat?" the Major asked, not really caring.

"Just out of curiosity," Elanos said. "Who are the four N7 soldiers?"

"I thought you had eyes and ears everywhere," the Major joked. Elanos didn't laugh. "They're all Servicemen 2nd Class. Their names are James Wong, Peter and Andrew Lamont and John Shepard."

"Hm," Elanos said, pondering.

"What?" the Major asked.

"Nothing," Elanos told him. "Sleep tight, Major."

Elanos hung the phone and turned off the vid. He leaned back in his chair, pondering the turn of events. John Shepard was on Elysium. That _was_ interesting. He had not seen him since that little event of Mindoir.

"What is it, Haliat?" came a voice from behind. Elanos turned and looked at the batarian who stood nearby, blinking his four eyes.

"Nothing, Malak," Elanos said courteously. "Just thinking."

"Are you really going to waste 50 billion credits on that loser," Malak asked, crossing his arms in disgust.

"Of course not," Elanos said. "That's your money I'd be wasting, my friend. I intend to kill him with my own two hands when the time comes."

"Just remember," Malak warned, tilting his head to the right; this was a sign that he thought he was better than Elanos, despite the fact that Elanos could stab out all four of those eyes faster than Malak could blink one. "This isn't about Elysium. This about showing those humans their place in the galaxy, which _should_ be below the boot of all good batarians. My brothers and I are investing a lot of money into this."

"Money well spent, I guarantee," Elanos reminded him. He pondered his next move. "How well off are we, in terms of resources?"

"We have enough," Malak said. "If you ordered it, we could go today."

"Good, then let's bump the operation ahead of schedule," Elanos said, wheels turning quickly in his mind. "Send word out to mercenaries we have employed. We proceed with the mission in a month."

"Will do," Malak grinned, eager for human blood. "But why?"

"The Major broke his end of the deal," Elanos stated simply. "He called in reinforcements. Thus, our contract is nullified. So I don't need to wait six more months for him to call in more."

"Very well then!" Malak grinned even wider.

"Oh and send out word to our men," Elanos said as an afterthought. "Whoever kills one of those N7 soldiers will get double their normal salary."

"Why not triple? We enough money," Malak suggested.

"Sure, whatever, its your money," Elanos said.

"And we'll throw in a slave for good measure," Malak said.

"No slaves," Elanos said coldly, shooting Malak's four eyes a glare that meant death. Malak backed away, frightened by his demeanor. Normally, when talking with a being with two eyes, batarians had the upper hand because they didn't know which eyes to focus on. But not this man. He didn't look into your eyes.

He looked into your soul. And you could not help but feel naked in front of him. It was unsettling.

"Fine, no slaves," Malak said, hands raised in defense.

Elanos smiled coldly as he tilted his head to the right, an exact mirror of the sign Malak had given Elanos earlier.

"Good," Elanos said and walked away.

"What should I tell the men to look for when hunting one of the N7 soldiers?" Malak asked.

"Look for two things," Elanos said over his shoulder. "One, the N7 insignia on their armor. Two, the fact that they're in front of everyone else."

Elanos left his statement hang in the air and Malak made the necessary preparations.

The Skyllian Blitz would commence in one month.

* * *

Okay, I have successfully combined two chapters into one giant chapter. This will hopefully shorten the story a little. And keep the people interested.


	31. Chapter 23: War Hero, Pt 2

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«-3.03: Elysium: Kronos Military Base: Training Fields»

«or War Hero, Pt. 2»

«…Seven Years Ago …»

The Kronos Military Base was named after the Greek god that was said to rule over the Elysian Fields of the Underworld. The military base, however, did not rule over the planet. Some people thought it sounded appropriate and decided to name it that.

The base branched off the main colonial settlement of Elysium. It was the only settlement on the entire planet though this was only temporary. The city itself was a massive, walled city built into one of the many mountain ranges that littered the planet. The mountains ran east to west with the city facing south. The walls, however, were the main focus for many tourists. One massive wall circled the entire city, only ending at the rock of the mountain. The wall was over 10 meters thick of tough metal and over twice as tall.

It had only one weakness and that was attacks from the sky. However, making the city a large spaceport, allowing for easy use of frigates and fighters, even dreadnaughts, was rectifying this. If need be, Elysium was ready for any attack.

Inside the military base, however, another battle was taking place already. One of logic and skill.

Shepard moved the holographic black knight forward, taking Peter's white rook and placing it within striking distance of the king.

"Check," Shepard said excitedly, grinning like a giddy child. For over four years, Shepard had played against Peter over a thousand times. And each time, Peter had beaten him before Shepard could get even close to his king. This was a very joyous occasion! So joyous, Shepard felt like jumping up and dancing. He restrained himself, however, because it wouldn't have looked good in front of the men. Especially since they were doing their daily hundred push-ups.

Peter merely gazed over the playing field with his bright blue eyes.

He moved a piece.

"Checkmate," Peter said simply.

Shepard stared at the board, his smile frozen in on his face.

"GODDAMMIT!" Shepard screamed.

"Y-Y-You spent so much t-t-t-time looking at my king, you had f-f-forgotten to protect your own king," Peter told him simply.

"Shut up! You have to admit that my plan was working!" Shepard said, crossing his arms.

"W-W-What plan? The run forward, guns blazing, and hope that you hit the k-k-king?" Peter asked. "You have to have a p-p-plan ahead of t-t-time. Using each players s-s-skills to your advantage."

"Yeah, yeah," Shepard muttered.

Peter smiled and looked up at the sky. In the distant horizon, dark clouds were gathering.

"L-L-Looks like a storm's coming," Peter commented. Shepard looked at the clouds. Then he looked at the men. Most of them were finished with their push-ups and were resting. Three others were lagging behind, not because they were weak, but because they had spent the entire night before cleaning up the latrines. Shepard had put them up to it when he caught them trying to sneak off base to the bar. Shepard glanced at his Omni-Tool for the time.

"Looks like its time for lunch," Shepard commented. He got up as he shouted. "Alright! If these three maggots aren't done by the time I count to ten, you all have to do push-ups while Serviceman Peter and I eat your meals in front of you!"

"Shit!" one of the privates (Toombs, Shepard thought his name was) muttered. He quickly got onto his knees and lay down next to one of the men who were still doing his push-ups. Shepard heard Toombs urge his comrade on with reassuring words and couldn't help but smile at this. Soon, others were shouting reassuring words to the three, boosting their self-esteems and helping them forward.

"L-L-Looks like they're finally getting the idea of the N7 b-b-b-brotherhood," Peter commented.

"They better," Shepard stated. He took a deep breath and began shouting the count.

Shepard didn't eat alone that day.

\::/::\::/::\::/

James sat cross-legged on the ground, hands behind his head while Andrew leaned against the wall, arms crossed across his massive chest. They both lingered on either side of a door to their barracks. James watched the dark clouds get nearer, unconcerned. Andrew appeared to be sleeping.

"So when's Johnny and Lil' Pete supposed to get here?" James asked him.

Andrew shrugged.

"Do you think they got lost?" James asked.

Andrew shook his head.

"Course not. We've been here for a month. We know this place like the back of our hands," James stated.

Andrew nodded.

"Do you know if they're done with their training yet?" James asked.

Andrew shrugged.

"Cause you know that Johnny told us to meet here to talk of our training plans for next month," James commented.

Andrew nodded.

"And now, here we are and here we wait for god knows how long," James continued.

Andrew said nothing.

"I can't wait! I wanna know if we get to shoot at them while they do their hundred push-ups next month! The suspense is killing me!" James exclaimed. He began pouting and kicking the heels of his feet on the ground like a little child.

Andrew grunted.

James looked over at Andrew for a moment.

"Ya don't talk much, do you?" James asked.

Andrew opened his eyes and looked at James.

"You don't stop talking, do you?" Andrew asked.

James looked forward.

"Touché," James said. He stood up and walked to the door. "Well, I'm getting my guitar. I'm bored and I haven't practiced in a while."

Andrew grunted.

"Yeah, yeah," James said over his shoulder as he walked into the barracks.

\::/::\::/::\::/

High above the orbit of the planet, a single fighter jet, piloted by Flight Lieutenant David Icarus, soared through the silent, vastness of space. He loved the sight of Elysium that flew by below him. The vast fields of grass, the rolling hills, the blue oceans and the white peaked mountains. He tried to see the single city of Elysium but he doubted he could see it from space. Still, that didn't stop him from trying.

"Enjoying the view there, Icky?" Flight Lieutenant Lars Johnson, his flight partner. David looked over and saw his partner's jet soaring silently beside him.

"Just as much as you, _Red Shirt_!" David shot back.

"Hey, don't diss my shirt! My grandma knitted it for me!" Lars responded jokingly.

"Whatever," David said. "Can we just stick to call signs, okay?"

"Fine, fine, Eagle 6," Lars said. "Not like anything happens over here. I mean, they have fighters doing the patrols. Should be frigates doing this kind of work."

"Like the Major's gonna waste the fuel, Eagle 7," David responded. "He's saving it up for 'The Glorious Battle,' or whatever crap he's spouting."

"Watch it, _he may be listening!_" Lars whispered jokingly. David laughed.

Together, they floated around towards the dark side of the planet, the side that was away from the sun. David also liked this part because without the nearby sun, you could see all the thousands of stars that filled the area. David thought about naming some new constellations but remembered how lazy he actually was.

"So, _Eagle 6_," Lars radioed pointedly. "How's the home front?"

"Sarah's saying that the newborn twins are a handful but they're fine," David responded. "I wish I was there."

"Hey, if you need a break, you could probably get one of the guys to cover for you," Lars said. "Hell, _I'll_ even cover for you."

"I'll keep that in mind," David said as he looked at the photo of his wife, Sarah. He smiled.

"What were the little kiddies names again?" Lars asked.

"David Jr. and Danielle," David said. "They both-"

"Hang on," Lars interrupted. He paused. "Eagle 6, I'm picking up…something on the ladar."

David glanced at his sensors, a network of blinking lights.

"I've go nothing," David said. "Wait…thermographics are…picking up multiple signals."

David watched as multiple readings jumped onto the screen. David furrowed his brow as the screen began to fill up with these signals, until not a single spot was left that wasn't red.

The two fighters entered the dark side of the planet Elysium, the nearby sun's corona shining faintly on the distant horizon, almost out of sight.

"You see anything, Eagle 6?" Lars asked. David looked up and…

"Holy shit," David breathed, eyes widening.

As he looked closer, he saw what looked like an armada of ships flying towards the planet. They ranged from the massive to the fighters that flew like bugs around their host ships. Some of these ships were even larger than the dreadnaughts that David had seen orbiting around Elysium.

"Those aren't Alliance ships, I'll tell you that much," Lars whispered.

"We need to contact the navy," David said, working on his radio, hoping, just hoping, that the radio on his puny fighter could transmit around the planet.

"Can't get a signal out, Eagle 6," Lars whispered, hurriedly. "What the-? Shit! I've been tagged!"

"Retreat back to the main body!" David said into his radio. The two fighters shot around, spinning around back towards the main fleet. As they did, two flashes of light came from one of the dreadnaughts.

"I've been locked on!" Lars shouted. He was panicking.

"Shoot your flares, Eagle 7!" David ordered him.

"They're jamming me! I can't get anything going! Equipment is non-responsive!" Lars shouted.

"Lars!" David shouted.

David looked to Lars' fighter.

Lars screamed into his radio.

The fighter exploded silently as a missile collided into it.

David stared at the smoking wreckage, shock riddling his face.

A beeping tone resounded within his cockpit as the missile locked onto his heat signature.

David's attention snapped back to his equipment, as he tried to navigate away from the horrendous armada behind him.

No good. A pulse of electromagnetism had hacked into his equipment and throwing them off. Nothing worked. Everything was scrambled. Shooting a flare could eject the cockpit instead.

The missile neared, shooting quietly through space.

David could see the distant corona of the sun fading from his vision.

The missile was closing in but David didn't think about it.

What David did think about, though, before the missile broke open his ship and released his body to the void of space, was the face of his high-school sweetheart (she was, in fact, Sarah) and the faces of his newborn children.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Philip Grigori yawned as he stared with tired eyes at the circular screen, staring at the blips waltzing around like ants. That was his job. Sit in the control tower, stare at said screen, report any new blips and repeat. That was his job for every single day that he had been there.

"Tell you what, kid," Philip said to the man sitting next to him. "It doesn't get much better than this." His voice dripped with sarcasm.

"You know I'm the same age as you," Brutus McDonald told him. "So don't call me kid."

"Whatever, you're the FNG," Philip shot, leaning back in his chair. "So I get to call you a 'kid' or a 'newbie,' or whatever floats my boat."

"I was transferred here over three months ago," Brutus said, tapping his keyboard all the while. "I hardly doubt that makes me the 'Fucking New Guy.'"

"Watch your language, newbie!" Philip said, feigning shock and disgust. "It's 'Freaking New Guy!'"

"Whatever, they both mean the same thing," Brutus said.

Philip laughed as rubbed his hands over his face. He was tired and hungover. He had spent the entire night with Brutus at the local pub. The FNG had decided to have Philip try some new concoction. Suffice it to say, he woke up that morning with his couch on fire and his head splitting open like a melon.

Brutus, on the other hand, was completely fine. Philip was still trying to figure out how he did that.

A bleep sounded on his equipment as he continued to rub his temples.

Wait, what?

Philip leaned forward and inspected his equipment. Sure enough, there was a new signal that had popped onto the screen. He examined the shape that was on the screen, trying to see if it was an Alliance ship. But they weren't any shape he recognized.

"Hey, Brute," Philip asked. "Are we supposed to receiving any merchant ships today?"

Brutus checked his Omni-Tool, a manifest of incoming and outgoing vessels popping up on the screen. He checked between the screen and the board.

"Not that I know of," Brutus said.

Philip looked at the screen. The one blip had become a giant mass. Philip rolled his chair back, looking for his boss.

"Hey, boss!" Philip yelled over the heads of the ten other workers. "We expecting any extreme heavy shipment?"

His boss looked up, his brow furrowed. Checking the nearby computer, he inspected it closely.

"No," his boss said. "None today. Why?"

"Because we're picking up a shit-load of ships entering our atmosphere and heading towards us," Philip said, leaning forward, all thoughts of his hangover gone. His face held a growing worried expression. Something was happening.

"Show it up on screen," his boss ordered, standing up from his desk. Philip pressed a button and what he had been seeing for the past minute or so appeared onto the big screen. What had once been a single red blip had now filled the entire screen with red. Everyone stopped what they had been doing before and stared at the big screen.

"How much does the screen show?" Philip asked.

"A radius of around 1000 km," his boss answered, hiding his fear well. He thought for a moment. "Make contact with them."

"Unidentified vessels, this is Kronos Control Tower, please identify your purpose and personnel," one of the men in the room said through a radio. His voice was stern and calm. Philip and the rest of the room held their silence, waiting for an answer.

None came.

"Keep trying," his boss said. As the man continued to hail the vessels, his boss turned to one of the men. "Contact the military and the navy. Tell them what's going on. It's strange how they already don't know-"

A voice answered through the radio. It sounded cold and raspy, like it was coming straight from a corpse.

"Operation Purify is a go," was all the voice said.

Philip could hardly understand what was going on before Brutus stood up and shot his boss with his pistol. His brains and blood flew across the room and onto the floor before he collapsed onto his desk.

Philip could hardly understand what was happening when Brutus, whom he had known for two months, began killing everybody in the room. Philip himself was shot through the shoulder, but he didn't cry out. He couldn't understand what was happening.

Phillip later found himself on the ground, surrounded by the staring eyes of the men he had worked with for over a year, their blood caking the floor as it dried. Phillip tried to get back up, but he was forced back to the ground. Phillip found himself on his back, staring down the barrel of his friend's pistol.

"Brutus?" Phillip breathed in disbelief. Brutus looked back with cold eyes.

"Say hello to your wife for me," Brutus said.

"Wh-What? She's went to work after she dropped you off. After we came back from the pub…" Phillip said, eyes wide, tears slowly flowing down them.

"No. After she dropped me off, we spent the night fucking. This morning I shot her in the head," Brutus told him without emotion. "She felt good. Kept begging for more after the first time. You should have treated her better."

"Wha…Why?" Phillip asked, trying desperately to understand what was going on.

Brutus stared back at him.

"Nothing personal, buddy," Brutus told him. "They just paid me to do it. And she knew my face."

Phillip didn't understand a thing as the back of his head exploded.

\::/::\::/::\::/

"Kronos Control Tower, this is the _SSV Agincourt_, please repeat your last transmission, over," Pressly spoke into the radio. He paused, waiting for a response.

Nothing came through.

"I don't know, sir," Pressly said to his superior, Captain Richard Kent. "Communications opened up but nothing came through. Just static."

Kent nodded and sighed.

"Keep trying," Kent said. "I'll inform the fleet."

"Aye aye, sir," Pressly said. "Kronos Control Tower, this is the _SSV Agincourt_-"

"Roger, Agincourt," a voice finally answered. "This is Kronos Control Tower. I read you loud and clear, over." Kent stopped and leaned in to listen.

"Kronos Control, communications opened up between us and groundside but no reply came through. This everything all right? Over." Pressly asked.

"Yes, we're fine," the voice replied cheerfully. "Phillip and Jerry got in a fight again and must have opened the Comm. channel by mistake. Over."

"What was the fight about this time, control? Over." Pressly asked, smiling. This wasn't the first time it happened.

"Oh, Phillip accused Jerry of sleeping with his wife," the voice said. "The boss gave them both the day off. It was nothing serious, mind you. Over."

"Please make sure it doesn't happen again, Control," Pressly said. "I almost thought something was going to happen today. Over."

"No such luck, Agincourt," the voice said. "Oh! And, um, just a heads up, Agincourt. There is a thunderstorm coming our way in a few minutes. It, um, looks pretty big and our readings show it is full of electricity, so it may scramble our communications for the while. If you would please tell the higher ups about this so that you don't freak out. Over."

"Will do, Control. We'll be keeping an eye down on the emergency channel," Pressly said. "Over."

"Roger. Over and out," the voice clicked out and the radio was silent. Pressly leaned back in his chair and looked at Captain Kent.

"What do you think, sir?" Pressly asked. Kent thought for a moment.

"Show me a visual of the skies over Elysium," Kent ordered.

"Aye, aye sir," Pressly said. He pressed a few buttons and a clear visual of the planet below popped onto the screen. Dark ominous clouds covered the city, blocking it from view. The storm was large, spanning at about 50 miles across. It looked like the storm would last the whole day, if not the whole week.

"This doesn't feel right," Kent whispered, rubbing his chin.

"Should we request a frigate to go down and check it out, sir?" Pressly asked. Kent shook his head.

"We have no reason to," Kent told him. "For now, just alert the fleet of the storm. But Pressly."

"Yes, sir?" Pressly asked.

"Be ready," Kent ordered.

"Always, sir," Pressly said.

Kent walked away as Pressly stared at the clouds. The captain was right. Those clouds definitely gave off a bad feeling. Like something was going to happen.

\::/::\::/::\::/

James whistled a tune as he walked through the barracks. He heard the first raindrops patter against the windows as he walked to his locker. James loved the sound of the rain. Especially when he was trying to sleep. It was so soothing that he went to sleep almost immediately. He never had a bad dream when he went to sleep at the sound of the rain. And it looked like he would sleep well tonight.

James continued to whistle his tune as he opened his locker. It was a tune his mother had taught him when he was little. But for the life of him, he could not remember the name of the tune. It was at the tip of his tongue but he just couldn't put his finger on it. Oh well. He still loved the tune.

As James rummaged through his locker, the rain continued to beat down on the window pain, slowly falling harder and harder.

Below one of the beds, a batarian slipped out, baring a knife in his hand.

James continued to whistle his tune as he tried to find his guitar.

The batarian crouched low to the ground, four eyes trained on his target. One of the N7.

"I knew I left it here somewhere," James muttered. He placed his hands on his hips, shaking his head.

The batarian slowly stalked forward, each move quieter than a shadow's footfall.

James rummaged through the locker again, muttering under his breath.

The batarian was right behind James.

"Ah! Here it is!" James exclaimed.

The batarian had no time to react as James' curved blade from his kukri tore right between his two center eyes. He was dead before James pulled the blade out.

James watched the batarian fall to the ground, red blood pouring on the ground. James carefully stepped his way around the body, trying not to step in the blood. He looked up.

"Man, you guys have _no_ sense of camaraderie, do you?" James sighed. "I just killed one of your teammates and you don't even life a finger to help him!"

In the blink of an eye, three batarians exploded from their hiding places.

Smiling, James twirled his kukri dexterously through his fingers. All N7s were given special permission to utilize any weapon they wanted. While John had his knife, Andrew had his gauntlets, and Peter had his eye…thingy, James preferred his kukri. He just liked the way it felt in his hand. Especially when it cut into people. It really was like butter!

Andrew had heard a corpse fall to the ground. Even from outside, with the rain pouring, he heard a corpse fall to the ground. He had entered the building and when he clearly heard the clash of metal, he broke into a sprint, the blue biotic glow surrounding his fists like flames.

When he arrived, James had already dispatched all but one of the batarians. Andrew reached out with his biotics and gripped him firmly. He was careful not to break his bones, though. They needed this one alive.

"What took you so long?" James asked, still a little giddy from the adrenaline.

"Like you needed the help," Andrew told him.

"Yeah, yeah," James said. He looked at the batarian. "Well, my new four-eyed friend, what brings you here?"

The batarian spouted out curses in the batarian language that he didn't quite catch.

"Well," James said, laughing. "_That_ didn't sound pleasant!"

Andrew answered by slamming the batarian into the floor. He released the batarian, allowing him to move.

"So, my friend," James said cheerfully. "Why are you here?"

"You think my death would stop it?" the batarian coughed. "Do you think _anything_ will stop it?"

"Stop what?" James asked forcefully. "Enlighten us."

"Operation Purify," the batarian laughed. "The operation to cleanse this planet of all Alliance personnel. Claiming it for the Terminus Systems."

"Oh?" James said. "And what, pray tell, is this operation."

"Simple steps," the batarian coughed again, clutching his throat. "Step One: disrupt communications, both radio and visual, between the Navy up above and the groundside. Step Two: kill all high-ranking Alliance Personnel. And Step Three, which is the easiest: exterminate everything else."

He laughed a throaty laugh that echoed through the room. For once, James wasn't smiling.

"And when," James said slowly. "Exactly, is this operation supposed to start?"

"It's already begun," the batarian laughed, sitting on his knees, head lolled back. "1000 ships from the Terminus Systems descend upon you. And you will all die."

The batarian laughed as hard as he could.

It was the last thing he did before Andrew stepped forward and punched his jaw clean off with his biotic-fists.

Ignoring his screams, the two let him bleed to death.

James looked at Andrew sternly and without smiling. There was no time for smiles.

"Andrew," James said as the last cries of the batarian died down. "We've got a problem."

\::/::\::/::\::/

Shepard and Peter walked downhill back to the barracks in the rain. They were late because some of the men had dared them to a push-up race. The rules were simple: first one to a hundred wins.

John won that without breaking a sweat while Peter finished closely behind.

Now they walked back in the rain, talking to themselves about the coming months. Shepard then heard a crackle of his radio. It was from the N7's personal communications systems that linked to all N7 personnel so they could communicate amongst each other.

"This is Shepard," Shepard said.

"John, we've go a major problem," James voice came through stern and without mirth. So Shepard knew immediately that he was serious.

"What happened?" Shepard asked sternly. He gazed out over the distant horizon.

"We're under attack," James told him. "Batarians but they said something about the Terminus Systems. They're attacking us and we don't even know it yet. I've tried raising the Control Tower but they're offline, so I can't reach anyone."

"Wong, look outside your window to the south," Shepard said calmly.

A pause.

"Yeah, that'd be them," James replied as calmly as he could.

At that moment, the only thing running through Shepard's mind was a line from a song. It was a good song; enjoyable, as was the entire album, despite how old it was. Shepard often listened to it when he was bored. Now, the first line of the chorus reigned supreme in his mind.

_Dark wings they are descending…_

In the distant south, a fleet of ships was closing in on the city. Even in the rain and from a distance, they completely covered the horizon. Thousands of them were massive ships that put dents in the planet just by being close to them. And now, they were slowly moving towards the city.

Shepard and Peter broke into a run towards the barracks.

"James, tell me everything you know," Shepard said into his mouthpiece.

\::/::\::/::\::/

The Major looked through the paper on his desk, whistling absent-mindedly to himself. He couldn't help but feel a bit…excited, he guessed. Everything was coming together. Soon, his Glorious Battle will come and he will be remembered for all of time.

He smiled warmly to himself.

There was a rumble that shook the walls, stealing his smile and adding confusion to the mix. The Major stood up quickly and pressed a nearby button, connecting him to his aide.

"Jefferson, what the hell was that?" the Major asked roughly.

"I'm not sure, sir," Jefferson said calmly. "I'm getting mixed reports all across the board. Most of them are saying that we are under attack."

"Patch me through to the Commanders," the Major ordered.

"That's the thing sir," Jefferson said. "I'm getting reports that Commander Kelly was found with her throat slit, Commander O'Malley was found hung and…basically, I'm getting reports that all the Commander's are dead. Killed, sir."

The Major furrowed his brow. This sounded familiar…

"I'm going outside," the Major said, grabbing his cloak. He needed to see this for himself.

It was raining heavily. Lightning streaked across the sky and thunder resounded across the streets. However, this didn't draw the Major's attention. It was the thousands of ships that closed in on the city. They looked like giant scarabs a hundred feet high moving towards the city in a swarm. The Major merely blinked through the rain. There were flashes of light from the AA Towers, shooting from a distance. Sirens were going off, signaling the civilians to hurry to the bunkers.

The Major stared at the sheer size of the ships and the immense number of them. He couldn't help but feel…giddy with excitement. Had it finally come after all these years of waiting?

"Why wasn't I informed of this?" the Major demanded, hiding his excitement.

"Sir, the radio frequencies have all been jammed by this storm," a nearby soldier told him. "The only frequencies that _do _work are foggy at best, sir."

"How long till they get here?" the Major asked.

"Sir, they'll be here within half an hour, if not sooner," the soldier told him.

"Where're the N7s?" the Major asked, looking around.

"Sir, they said they were going to suit up," the soldier answered.

"Right when I need them," the Major muttered under his breath.

"Yeah, yeah, you know you missed us," came that annoying voice that the Major thought sounded nasally and arrogant.

The four N7s walked in the rain, each holding their helmets in one hand. They each wore Level X Colossus Medium Armor, the red and black shining brightly in the rain. Each had the standard version of the shotgun, assault rifle, pistol and sniper rifle. However, they may have looked similar to each other, but they were vastly different in many different ways.

Shepard held himself upright, walking forward with pride and dignity, leading the team in which he was the leader. On his left upper arm was the knife that he was so known for. Other than that, however, he was pretty normal compared to the rest of his team.

James wore his kukri knife on his back, having it stick over his right shoulder. Compared to Shepard, he hunched his back over, leaving his helmet over his shoulder. He wore a wicked grin, like he had something passing through his mind like he had something both very funny and very disturbingly dark at the same time.

Andrew wore the Colossus armor proudly, standing a head taller than Shepard himself. However, instead of the standard gloves that came with the armor, he wore something rather odd: gloves that had spikes sticking from his knuckles, as well as metal pieces that gave the appearance that he wore something akin to the old medieval gauntlets.

Peter had a strange contraption covering his left eye. It looked like a monocle but the lens glowed a deep and disturbing red. It was attached through the suit to the Omni-Tool on his wrist. Cradling in both of his arms, he held his coveted sniper rifle that he had named 'Charlene.' Or, the man Shepard called Simon had named it that.

The four N7s walked towards the Major, blinking away the rain and the mist. They stood before him, ready and able. The Major sniffed.

"What makes you think you're fighting?" the Major asked, hands on his hips.

"Sir, the fact that the enemy is on our doorstep. Sir," James said pointedly.

"What else would you have us do?" Shepard asked.

"You four are going to lead my men," the Major told him.

"Begging your pardon, sir, but that part was obvious," James commented.

"Do you not see what is happening?" the Major smiled. It was chilling. As he spoke, most of the marines began to surround the Major and the N7s, listening to their every word. "This is the Glorious Battle that we have waited for so long for! This is the defining moment that we will be remembered for all time! This is our Pearl Harbor!"

Shepard sighed. Not this crap again.

"We don't have time for this, Major," Shepard reminded him. "We need to get the defenses in place and establish contact with the Navy above for reinforcements."

"I'll g-g-get on it," Peter answered and he moved to run towards the control tower.

"Belay that!" the Major screamed. Everyone froze. "We don't need reinforcements! This is our moment! We must go down with pride and dignity!"

Everyone froze.

"Major…what exactly do you mean?" Shepard asked slowly, hand tracing his pistol. James cracked his neck to the side, glaring at the Major.

"There is no possible way we can survive this!" the Major laughed. "So I say we go out with a bang! We will charge them and die in a glorious flame!" He could no longer hide his exhilaration.

"What the hell are you talking about?" James asked him, hand on his pistol. He didn't know what to expect.

"Soldiers of the Alliance!" the Major shouted. "This day will be remembered for all time! It will be the day that the few Alliance soldiers, without aid, took down an army of thousands! Millions! They will remember you all for your heroic deeds! You're deaths will be remembered! We will charge them and I will lead you!"

"Sir! If you think for a moment, we will all be killed the minute we set foot outside the walls," Shepard reminded him.

"Maybe," the Major told him. "Maybe not. Who can say? All I know is that we will be remembered throughout time if we were to charge them all! We will be seen as glorious heroes!" He was laughing like he had just said the funniest thing in the universe. He stared at the horizon like a crazed man.

It was at that moment that a thought dawned on him: he was terrified. It was exhilarating.

No one moved.

"I order you all! Get within your tanks and any mode of transportation and CHARGE THEM!" the Major screamed.

Everyone looked at Shepard.

Shepard looked at the Major with a look of disgust on his face.

He shrugged, giving up.

With a single punch, the Major was out cold before he hit the ground.

Lightning crashed.

"Semper Fi," Shepard merely stated, shaking his hand.

"I assume we're going to talk about what the hell just happened later?" James asked. Shepard nodded and gazed at the soldiers.

"So, does anyone else wanna have some kind of mental breakdown?" Shepard asked them, pointing to the Major's twitching form.

"SIR, NO SIR!" they all answered.

They were never the Major's men. They were soldiers. Plain and simple. They would defend until the last man falls. They would not stop and they would not surrender.

"Then get your asses to the wall! Double-time!" James shouted.

\::/::\::/::\::/

At the wall, the rain poured throughout the city, lightning blinded everyone and the thunder deafened their ears. The conditions were against the marines. But still, they listened to Shepard. He was their leader and he had to tell them where to go. He had to tell them what jobs they had to do if they could make it out alive.

And in the distance, the ships were getting larger by the second.

"Andrew, I want you to lead as many man as can be spared to help with the relocation of the civilians to the bunkers," Shepard continued.

Andrew grunted his approval and pounded his fists together. Biotic fire leapt from them as he rushed off. He paused a second to look at his younger brother. Peter smiled gave him a thumbs-up. Andrew smiled and returned the gesture. He disappeared from view as he rushed off with a group of marines. Peter stared after him for a minute longer. Then turned his attention back to the mission.

"AA Towers are to continue laying down suppressive fire on the carriers and cruisers in the distance. Have them take down as many as they can." Shepard told them.

"What about fighters?" James asked him.

"Distribute rocket launchers to all platoons along the wall," Shepard told him. "Have them single out the fighters and the smaller crafts. I want them taken out _before_ they can cry to their mothers."

"This will be a siege, then," James stated.

"Correct," Shepard said. "That usually means that we can out last them. But in terms of firepower, they have the advantage. We need to reestablish contact with the orbiting navy above."

"We're being jammed," James reminded him. "And not by this storm."

"Exactly," Shepard agreed. He looked up towards the center of the city.

"The Control Tower?" James said.

"If I wanted to destroy communications between groundside and the Navy, that's what I would take out first," Shepard said. "We need someone to take a team to take back the tower, assuming it's been taken over."

"Who else?" James said. They both looked at Peter.

"Can you do it?" Shepard asked him.

Peter looked at the two of them, his red eye showing their names and rank in his peripheral vision, as it did to all people he came across, just so long as their names were put into some kind of Alliance manifest.

Peter took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them, Shepard recognized that it wasn't really Peter who opened them.

It was the one Shepard called Simon.

Grinning madly, Peter/Simon grabbed his sniper rifle and cocked it.

"_**THIS IS MY RIFLE! THERE ARE MANY LIKE IT, BUT THIS ONE IS MINE! MY RIFLE IS MY BEST FRIEND! IT IS MY LIFE! I MUST MASTER IT AS I MASTER MY LIFE! MY RIFLE, WITHOUT ME, IS USELESS! WITHOUT MY RIFLE, I AM USELESS! I MUST FIRE MY RIFLE TRUE! I MUST SHOOT STRAIGHTER THAN ANY ENEMY WHO IS TRYING TO KILL ME! I MUST SHOOT HIM BEFORE HE SHOOTS ME! I WILL!**_

_**MY RIFLE IS HUMAN, EVEN AS I, BECAUSE IT IS MY LIFE! THUS, I WILL LEARN IT AS A BROTHER! I WILL LEARN ITS WEAKNESS, ITS STRENGTH, ITS PARTS, ITS ACCESSORIES, ITS SIGHTS AND ITS BARREL! I WILL KEEP MY RIFLE CLEAN AND READY, EVEN AS I AM CLEAN AND READY! WE WILL BECOME PART OF EACH OTHER! WE WILL!**_

_**MY RIFLE AND MYSELF KNOW THAT WHAT COUNTS IN THIS WAR IS NOT THE ROUNDS WE FIRE, THE NOISE OF OUR BURST NOR THE SMOKE WE MAKE! WE KNOW THAT IT IS THE HITS THAT COUNT! WE WILL HIT!**_

_**BEFORE GOD I SWEAR THIS CREED! MY RIFLE AND MYSELF ARE THE DEFENDERS OF MY COLONY! WE ARE THE MASTERS OF OUR ENEMY! WE ARE THE SAVIORS OF LIFE! SO BE IT, UNTIL VICTORY IS THE ALLIANCE'S AND THERE IS NO ENEMY, BUT PEACE!"**_

Without another word, Peter/Simon jumped off the wall. In pure N7 fashion, he slid down the tall wall, which curved at a convex angle for better protection. He hit the ground running towards Control Tower. The two other N7s just stared after him.

"Dude, that guy's got issues," James told Shepard.

"Tell me about it," Shepard muttered as he looked over the map of the city.

"I mean, you don't think he's gonna start calling his rifle Charlene or something, do you?" James asked him.

"I think we have more pressing things to worry about right now," Shepard answered without looking up.

"Righto, Johnny boy," James saluted.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Peter ran through the winding streets. He loved to run. Ever since he was young, he would always race his brother through the streets of their home colony. It was the one time that he could feel…like himself.

He didn't know why he stuttered so much. His words just came out all jumbled together sometimes. Peter always felt that his mind worked too fast for his mouth to keep up with. Did this make him arrogant? He wasn't sure. He _couldn't_ be sure.

But now, as he was running and after he had shouted his little creed that he lived by, he truly felt like he was himself. Shepard had always thought that he had a split personality. He called it 'Simon.' In truth, he was still Peter. Just an overly excited Peter, he thought.

Using his Omni-Tool, Peter marked the Control Tower as his target. On his red-eye device, the target popped up on his HUD, showing how far away he was and how long it would take to reach it.

_Distance: 4.5 Miles_

_ETA: 15 Minutes_

Judging on how intense the AA Towers and the soldiers were shooting, he doubted he would make it in less than 15 minutes. If the battle went against them, he might not make it in under an hour. Or worse, not at all.

Still, he continued to run. He loved running. And he had a job to do.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Within a drop ship, 13 krogans waited impatiently for them to unleash them on the pathetic humans. They were all known throughout the Terminus Systems as the 'Retgar 13.' One: because they were all brothers from the Retgar clan. Two: there were 13 of them. And three: they were all the last remaining members of the clan. And as all people knew, there is nothing worse than an angry krogan with nothing to lose.

Plus, all 13 of them were highly trained Battlemasters. Which was exactly why the other human mercenaries and batarian slavers on board were terrified of them. That and the other stuff.

They all had names, of course, but among them, they never really used them. They knew each other so well and had spent so much time together that they didn't need to talk to each other by name. They always seemed to know who was talking and to whom that krogan was talking to. However, the pilots of the drop ship, who did not like having thirteen bloodthirsty krogans on board their already crowded ship, had to recognize them by name.

"So, go over it with me again," the co-pilot said. The pilot sighed.

"_Fine!_ I'll repeat it again and this will be the last time," the pilot said exasperatedly. "There are thirteen of them."

"Okay," the co-pilot answered.

"There are three sets of twins and two sets of triplets, which is, considering the genophage, miraculous," the pilot continued. "There are held in _very_ high esteem."

"Okay," the co-pilot said. "But three sets of twins and two sets of triplets makes twelve."

"Yes," the pilot said, nodding. "The thirteenth one is their 'leader,' Retgar Thorix. He's the oldest and looks after the rest."

"Okay," the co-pilot said.

"The second oldest are the twins, Retgar Bayas and Retgar Dayas," the pilot continued. "They're the smartest, though. Thorix just has more experience than them, so he's their leader.

"Right," the co-pilot counted them out with his fingers.

"The next are the triplets, Retgar Doriav, Noriav and Oriav," the pilot continued. "They're the experts in gunplay. I think they like grenades the most, though I think that's just a rumor."

"Okay," the co-pilot added the three to his fingers/list.

"Next are the twins, Retgar Oixan and Gloixan," the pilot said. "Don't ask me to repeat their names because I can_not_ pronounce them for the life of me. But they are the strongest biotics of the bunch."

"Got it," the co-pilot nodded. He was running out of fingers.

"Next, we got the last triplets, Retgar Bivor, Bovor and Bozurr," the pilot continued. "They are the…ahem, _cannibalistic_ ones. They _love_ to eat. And it doesn't matter what kind of meat their eating. I think they'd eat _each other_ if they weren't afraid of Thorix."

The co-pilot gulped.

"And last, we got the last set of twins, Retgar Voldur and Retgar Coldur," the pilot finished. "They are the youngest and the more…_wilder_ ones."

The co-pilot stared at his fingers.

"You got that?" the pilot asked.

"No," the co-pilot answered.

"Goddammit," the pilot muttered. He listened to his radio, then turned around and faced the men behind him. "Two minutes until go-time."

He wasn't sure any of them had heard him because two of the krogans had started fighting over…something, he didn't know what. All he knew that there was angry krogan shouts and screams from some of the other men.

"Voldur! Coldur! Get your act together before I rip your bones out! Both of you!" one of the big ones yelled at them. The pilot guessed it was Thorix.

"But he started it!" the both said at the same time.

"I don't care who started it! I'll end it! Permanently!" the one he thought was Thorix yelled. "And I don't mean a simple broken bone for bad behavior, I mean full on spinal cord rip-out!"

That ended the fight. The pilot guessed that they knew that Thorix meant what he said. The pilot gulped.

"Now what the hell did you say? I couldn't hear over these two whelps yelling about something!" the one the pilot assumed was Thorix rounded on him. The pilot couldn't help but start.

"Well…we'll be engaging the base in two minutes," the pilot told him. Thorix stared at him through cat-like slits for pupils and red eyes. The pilot gestured outside meekly.

"Thank you!" Thorix said, nearly shouting. Then he turned away and seemed to go back to sleep.

The pilot turned back towards his controls, eyes wide and sweating visibly.

"And who was that?" the co-pilot asked.

The pilot wanted to snap the co-pilot's neck.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Shepard watched the ships get closer and closer. He waited.

He had all the time in the world.

The rain splattered over the men as they raised their weapons towards the ships. The AA Cannons continued their assault upon the massive ships. For the longest while, the ships took the assault, trying to intimidate the men.

Ships broke apart and fell to the ground, but still they did nothing.

After two minutes of doing nothing, the enemy ships began their assault.

Missiles began to soar through the rain and thunder, colliding against the AA Towers as well as the wall. Some were shot down but a few broke through and destroyed parts of the upper ramparts of the wall.

Shepard could hear their screams as they died. He ignored them. There was nothing he could do for them.

He instead concentrated on the drop ships that flew down low and fast towards the wall.

The drop ships and frigates soared through the air, barely touching the ground. Some quickly lurched upwards and dropped their payload on the ground.

Their payload included tanks. Lots and lots of tanks.

The tanks hit the ground rolling and firing towards the wall, rocking the metal wall right down to its core.

Shepard whistled.

And gun turrets popped out of their hiding places along the length and breadth of the wall, firing at the tanks. Most didn't stand a chance. Others managed to break through and fire at the wall, destroying some of the turrets.

"Rockets!" Shepard shouted, hoping they could still hear him.

Several soldiers pointed their rocket launchers down the wall and took aim at the tanks below. There was a large plume of smoke from their weapons and a few seconds' later explosions riddled the ground below. Some tanks were destroyed, others were still moving around like dancing ants, trying to avoid fire and still return fire.

"We're doing it, Johnny," James said hopefully.

"We can't keep this up forever, though," Shepard said, glancing at the tower. "Peter needs to get communications back up and running and-"

"Watch it!" James suddenly grabbed Shepard by his armor and tore him away.

Where Shepard was just standing, a drop ship collided with the wall and continued on its course, smoke and fire billowing from its engines. Alongside it, a few other drop ships flew, limping through the air. Shepard coughed and looked at the drop ships crashing around the city.

"N7s, this is Shepard!" Shepard yelled into his Comm. channel, hoping that at least some of the message can get through the jamming static. "Be advised! Several drop ships have made it past the wall and are crashing throughout the city! What's your status? Over!"

"This is Hawk-Eye!" Peter (or Simon) coughed. "One of them crashed right in front of me! Full platoons of mercenaries are pouring out! Some injured but mostly unharmed. Wait. They're heading towards the bunkers!"

"Fire-Fist! What's your status?" Shepard shouted over the din of gunfire. A man died behind him (shot through the shoulder and fell forward towards the ground) but he ignored it.

"Still working on getting the civilians!" Andrew's deep voice answered. "I've got most of them in, but there are still many that are working their way up. I've got about a platoon of men helping. If those mercenaries head straight for the bunkers, we won't be able to hold them off for long!"

"I can help them! Just say the word!" Peter chimed in, eager.

"Shepard, we need Peter to re-establish contact with the Navy above!" James reminded him.

"Civilians take precedence!" Shepard didn't even think about it. "Hawk-Eye! You've got 15 minutes to kill as many of those mercenaries as you can and make sure they don't reach the bunkers! After that, you run your ass over to the Tower, you hear me? Fire-Fist can handle the rest!"

"Understood! Over and out!" Peter shouted.

Shepard looked at James. He merely agreed with Shepard's decision. Like always.

"But can we hold out for 15 minutes?" James asked no one in particular.

Shepard didn't answer. He merely grabbed his sniper rifle and picked off any stragglers.

\::/::\::/::\::/

The smoking wreckage of the drop ship was on fire. All human, turian and batarian life were dead. Only the Retgar 13 remained, emerging slowly from the wreck. One of them was eating the corpse of the pilot, while one of the other was gnawing on the co-pilot's head. The krogan seemed to notice that the co-pilot's head didn't nourish him as much. Seemed empty to him.

They spoke to each other and once again, it was impossible to distinguish who was who. They all looked very similar to each other and they all sounded very similar.

"All right! Who's not dead?"

"We are all here!"

"Augh, my nuts!"

"Where the hell are we?"

"Lower section of Elysium, I guess."

"No, we're not! We're on the eastern end!"

"Seriously, guys, I think I busted one of them!"

"The eastern end _is _the lower section!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Look guys! I'm bleeding all over the place!"

"That's batarian blood, idiot!"

"Yo! The twins are at it again!"

"GODDAMMIT! WHAT THE _FUCK_ DID I TELL YOU LITTLE DIPSHITS ON THE PLANE! HM?"

"He told me mom was a whore!"

"She _was_ a whore!"

"She was _your_ mom, too!"

"SHUT THE _FUCK_ UP BEFORE I RIP YOUR STUPID LITTLE HEADS OFF! NOW QUICK COMPLAINING AND LET'S GET OUR ACT TOGETHER! COME ON!"

"…Yes sir."

"Yes sir."

"Alright, our job is the take care of one of those N7 punks. You got their pictures?"

"Yeah, right here."

"Good. Pass them around. Memorize their faces and armor. These are our targets."

"We gonna kill them?"

"Of course?"

"How? Any preferable way?"

"Nope. Beat them, stab them, shoot them, bust their heads open, tear them limb from limb, eat them. Doesn't matter _how_ they die. Just so long as their dead. Got it?"

"I _am_ getting rather hungry!"

"Good. Now let's go!"

"Wait! Give me a minute so I can make sure my balls are okay…let's see…one, two, three _and_ four. Okay, we're good!"

"Man, you are _killing_ me."

* * *

This was originally Chapter's 24 and 25. They combine together like the Power Rangers giant robot thingy.


	32. Chapter 24: War Hero, Pt 3

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«-3.02: Elysium: Western Residential District: Apartment Building 19: Room 1408»

«or War Hero, Pt. 3»

«…Seven Years Ago…»

The young woman was crying as the human slaver leered over her. She had soft and lovely brown eyes and long flowing brown hair that glistened from the rain. She wore make-up that accentuated her eyes and blush that reflected the light. Today, she wore her best and most beautiful dress she had because it was her 18th birthday.

The slaver didn't know that. Nor did he care. He felt a craving for her flesh that was nearly maddening. The bulge between his pant legs proved it.

Grinning with eyes wide, he licked his lips as he examined his prize. He reached down and leaned in closer to the young woman. The young woman tried not to shudder as the slaver took a deep inhale through his long nose.

She smelled wonderful.

He licked his lips as he leaned closer, rubbing his nose sensually down her neck. The young woman tried to not cry out at his touch. She tried to imagine she was still laughing as her little brother sang her happy birthday along with her parents and boyfriend. She tried to imagine she was still at a happier time.

She tried not to look at their bodies that bled on the floor.

The young woman arched her back in shock and tried to hide a shudder. The slaver's hand had found one of her breasts. His hand was as cold as ice. His tongue was reminded her of a slug as it licked her skin. The young woman was revolted by the sensation that flowed through her body at each touch.

But still, she tried to think of other things. Not the man in front of her, violating her very being. Not the sounds of death and rain outside. She tried to remember the time her boyfriend took her to the park at night on their anniversary. She tried to remember the candles he lit, one for each year they've been together. She tried to remember how good he felt as they took each other into each other's arms and made love for the first time. She tried to remember afterwards the stars they counted as they lay on the grass.

Those memories were fading away now.

The man stepped back, his hand within his pants, grabbing himself between his legs. His breathing quickened and drool was beginning to slide down the corner of his mouth. His eyes widening, seemingly in fascination, he grabbed the front of the young woman's dress and tore it away from her, exposing her naked body to the slaver. His hand moved furiously in his pants, and a soft moan escaped his lips.

All that remained were the young woman's bikini-styled panties.

The slaver grabbed the panties in one filthy hand.

The young woman could contain herself no longer. She screamed at his touch and began to squirm wildly.

"SHUT UP!" the slaver shouted. The young woman felt the back of the slaver's hand collide with her cheek. She felt the sting that came afterwards. It didn't hide the touch of the slaver's filthy hands.

Nothing could.

Breathing loudly, the slaver dropped his pants and underwear. The young woman closed her eyes tightly as tears rolled down her face. She tried to remember the face of her family. She tried to remember the face of her boyfriend.

"You ready, slut?" the slaver whispered.

The young woman whimpered.

The slaver reached forward, preparing to tear away the last piece of fabric the young woman with soft and lovely brown eyes wore.

The filthy hand got closer as the young woman could only try to think of a happier time. It was her 18th birthday and she was thinking back to the birthday song her family and boyfriend sang her.

The dirty hand hooked a single, filthy finger under the fabric, preparing to slide it off.

A bullet ripped right through the slaver's hand.

The slaver jerked his hand away.

Before he could react, his naked crotch exploded in blood.

Before the slaver could cry out in pain, a bullet dug deep into his head and tore through the other side, burrowing somewhere in the wall.

The slaver fell dead to the floor.

Outside the nearby window, Peter hung upside down from the roof, sniper scope to his eye. Without another word, he dropped to the balcony and took a quick look around through his red eye. Seeing no one else, he walked through the doorway and entered the room. While taking his goggle and placing it on his belt, his eyes fell onto his handiwork and he sniffed disgustedly. In his opinion, the bastard got off easy. Had he had more time, he would have made his life hell.

Peter looked at the young woman. She tried to cover herself with her hands, her mascara running down her cheeks. She looked away, suddenly feeling…tainted.

Peter slowly placed the sniper rifle back onto his back. He opened his hands out to his sides, showing her his palms. Peter tried to look away from her naked body. Taking a quick look around the room, he saw a cupboard. Moving towards it, he opened it and found some clothes. Peter took some clothes out at random and tossed them down to her feet.

"Please, miss, put these on," Peter said softly. He turned his back on her so she could have some semblance of privacy.

The young woman stared at the soldier's back for a moment longer. Then, slowly and delicately, she put on her clothes, trying to hide herself from the dirtiness. When she was clothed in blue jeans that went well below her knees, a shirt that was roughly her size and tennis shoes, she could still feel the taint. The slaver's touch was still there, still on her skin. She hugged herself tightly, trying not to cry and shiver.

Peter watched her with sympathetic eyes for a moment. Then slowly walked over and touched her shoulders. The young woman started and tried to jerk away instinctively, but when she saw him, she relaxed a little. Peter guided through the door, down the stairs and outside, into the rain.

When they reached outside, the rain continued to pour down onto the city and onto the young woman. Peter let go of her and crouched onto the ground, examining his Omni-Tool for directions. The young woman watched the rain fall onto the ground and onto her body. She slowly began to rub the water through her hair and across her body. The rain was washing away the filth, the dirt. The taint was washing away from her. She breathed deeply and released it, letting it all out.

"What's your name, miss?" Peter asked her. The young woman turned to the soldier.

"Theresa…sir," the young woman told him.

"Well, Theresa," Peter stood up and looked at her. "Here's the deal. I've got around 12 minutes to take you to the bunkers and kill as many of those thugs along the way as I can. If we don't make it there, I have to leave you on your own and continue my mission. So that means if I say stop, you stop. I say run, you run. I say run ahead without me, even if I'm lying dead on the ground, you run as fast as you can to those bunkers. No questions asked. If you do as I say, we'll make it there in time. Do you understand?"

"I do," Theresa said meekly. What choice did she have?

"Good!" Peter said cheerfully. He put on his red goggle over his left eye. It winked at her. "Now take my hand and don't let go."

Theresa slowly reached out and grabbed the soldier's hand. Peter gripped it firmly, yet gently, and began to run down the street, partially dragging the young woman alongside him. Soon, though, Theresa found her feet again and ran most of the way by herself, without needing the soldier to guide her.

They worked their way through the streets and roads, Peter guiding and Theresa trying to keep up as best as she could. She didn't complain and didn't voice protest. Several times, they had to stop so Peter could scout out the road ahead. Several times, when he left, Theresa heard loud bangs of his sniper rifle. But always, he came back for her.

Soon, they could see the bunkers in sight. Several soldiers were patrolling the perimeter and keeping an eye on things. Peter and Theresa both stopped at the opening of an alleyway.

"Fire-fist, this is Hawk-eye, come in Fire-fist, over," Peter whispered into his comm.

"Hawk-eye, this is Fire-fist, read you loud and clear," Andrew answered.

"Fire-fist, I have a civilian with me. I repeat I am escorting a civilian to the bunkers. Is the way clear? Over," Peter whispered.

"You are clear to move, Hawk-eye, over and out," Andrew told him.

Peter nodded and looked at Theresa. He gently took her hand and slowly made his way out of the alleyway.

There was a small pop and Peter's shield shimmered into view as a bullet shot at Peter's head. Peter quickly pushed Theresa back into the alleyway. A second bullet shot into the ground where Peter was a second before.

"Peter, you okay?" Andrew exclaimed.

"I'm fine!" Peter shouted. "Where did that come from?"

"Dammit, none of us saw it," Andrew said. "As soon as we heard the pop, we ducked and covered."

Peter nodded.

Peter glanced at the corner and slowly began to peek out.

A bullet forced him back behind the corner. He didn't get to see where the shot originated.

"We're pinned down here, Peter," Andrew told him. "There must be more than one up there."

"Yeah, two," Peter said. He glanced at Theresa who was obviously scared. Peter smiled at her, reassuring her.

Peter examined one of the holes on the ground. He pointed a finger at the hole and painted an imaginary line from the hole to where he thought he shot originated from. Keeping his finger pointed there, he took out his sniper rifle and peered through the scope. All he saw was the brick wall in front of him.

He twitched a finger on his Omni-Tool and his red eye changed to thermal vision. He was able to see through the wall and revealed the heat signatures of the two sniper rifles, which had grown hot after firing several shots. Holding the sniper rifles, he saw the vague outlines of two individuals. Batarians, judging by their stature. The rain had cooled down their heat but he could still see them.

"Gotchya," Peter whispered.

Peter fired a round into the wall.

The round traveled through the brick wall and continued at an upward angle through the floors, until it finally exited through another wall. The round continued through the air until it buried itself inside the batarians head, having lost the amount of force necessary to punch through the other side.

Peter fired a second round into the wall before the batarian fell.

The same thing happened to the other batarian, only this time, Peter was sure it burrowed into his eye.

"Clear," Peter called.

Peter grabbed Theresa's stunned hand and helped her to the gate of the bunker. Peter let go of her hand and let her run the rest of the way to the bunker, where Andrew waited for her.

"Right this way, miss," Andrew motioned two guards to escort her. Andrew glanced over to Peter.

Peter gave him a two-fingered salute before running towards the Control Tower. Andrew returned it to his back as he ran off to complete his mission.

Theresa glanced over her shoulder to see the soldier running off back into the city. It was the last time she saw him. And it wouldn't be until she was sitting inside the bunker that she realized that she never asked what the soldier's name was.

\::/::\::/::\::/

The battle raged on at the wall. Tanks fired their weapons at the gun turrets while exploding after being hit. The ships in the distance fired their missiles destroying some AA Cannons but they were fired upon in turn. The entire horizon was filled with plumes of smoke and flames, as if the fiery pit of hell was let loose upon the world.

The mercenaries then unleashed their latest weapon. They had outfitted the front of their speeding ground transports with massive drills. They sped down the road towards the city, dodging missiles and gunfire. The long ground transports collided drill first into the steel wall, safe from gunfire due to the angle of the wall. The drill quickly tore away the metal slab, biting into nearly 10 meters of sheer metal. Months of research by batarian scientists allowed them to do this.

Soon, they reached the other side of the wall. The drill expired and fell off their fronts, which opened up like the mouth of a hellhound. Several platoons and brigades of mercenaries and slavers were vomited forth into the city.

And were met by the men and women of the Systems Alliance Military waiting on the other side.

"Decimate these sons of bitches," James commanded.

The military opened fire.

Shepard had seen the transport's drills and had stationed several platoons of soldiers at the base of the wall. He now watched from above as his soldiers fought against the horde that fought against them.

His soldiers. That's all they were to Shepard. Soldiers. Maybe pawns.

James was below commanding them all. He shouted orders to them, guiding them like a master guides a dog. Shepard didn't know what James thought of them, but he didn't care at the moment. He just wanted to protect this town.

Shepard breathed heavily as he looked at the ships in the distance. They were running out of ammo and energy. They had been fighting for nearly an hour. They were giving it their all but their energy was expired. It was beginning to show. Reactions dulled and movement's slowed. They knew that it would mean death, but they couldn't help it. They were tired. They had been fighting for so long. Now, they wanted it to end. They wanted it to be over.

And Shepard hadn't even been able to fight yet. Shepard bit his lip.

"Shepard!" James shouted up to him. "46th Platoon has fallen!"

Shepard spun towards the platoons former position. They were all dead and hordes of mercenaries were pouring forth into the city. Shepard looked around and tried to see if he could spare anyone else. No, they were all needed where they were. Shepard could risk moving them elsewhere. Gritting his teeth, Shepard ran along the ramparts on the wall.

Next would come the one defining moment on Elysium that would earn Shepard the Star of Terra, but at the time, he wasn't thinking about that. He only thought about how he needed to close up the breach in the wall. He was only thinking about how he needed to make sure no heavy weaponry entered the city.

But mostly, he didn't think. He reacted.

Shepard jumped off the ramparts. He felt the butterflies in his stomach for a moment before his feet hit the metal wall. The wall was wet from the rain, which allowed him to slid easily down the wall towards the ground. Keeping one hand on the wall to balance himself, he gripped the handle of his knife tightly. He felt the rain pelt his face, also stinging his eyes. But he kept his eyes on his target: a random batarian that was running away from the wall.

The batarian had about a full second to reevaluate the decisions that led him here before Shepard pushed himself off the wall and landed right on the batarian, burying the knife deep into his neck.

Shepard ignored the pain he felt in his legs from the shock on impact and quickly leapt to his feet. He grabbed his shotgun and plunged it into the gut of the next. Shepard pulled the trigger and the shells exploded into and out of the poor soldier's body, spraying blood everywhere.

Shepard fought with both his knife and his shotgun, slicing and shooting anyone who came near him. Soon, he had to replace his shotgun with his assault rifle. The mercenaries were backing away from him now, having taken notice of him.

"Wong!" Shepard shouted to him. "Hunt down those bastards! The ones who got through!"

"Gotcha!" James replied. He left another person in charge and ran off after the mercenaries who got through.

Shepard ducked the punch of another mercenary and aimed a kick at his knee, breaking it. Before the mercenary could scream, Shepard plunged his knife in his neck and slashed it across, allowing the blood to pour onto his hand. Shepard ignored it and continued his work.

He didn't know how long he fought or how many he killed. He ignored the pain his muscles were developing. He just continued to fight, the blood falling on his body faster than the rain could wash off. He had to fight them all off. He had to.

Soon, though, there were no more men to fight. The ground transport had vomited all it had and there were no more left. Shepard panted heavily, letting the rain cool him off. He couldn't feel the difference between the rain and the blood that covered him. They were both the same to him. He took a deep breath and released it.

He heard clapping.

Shepard turned to the sound of the clapping, and standing in the hole the drill made, he saw someone he didn't expect.

"Shepard," Elanos Haliat said, grinning. "It's been awhile."

The sound of gunfire and death filled the silence between the two.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Peter arrived at the base of the Control Tower. Cautiously, he moved forward, sniper rifle raised and half-crouched. Something wasn't right. Peter suspected that this was an inside-operation and yet, there were no guards. Then again, he didn't expect there to be. Guards would only attract attention. Still, he expected some kind of protection from outsiders.

When he heard the click beneath his foot, he knew he was right.

Peter froze immediately and looked down. Vaguely, he could see the outline of…something buried in the ground. Peter knew there were probably strewn across the area. He should have examined the area more closely before approaching, though he knew he was pressed for time.

His thought process was quick. He knew that it couldn't be proximity mine because he would have been dead before he set foot on bomb. No, this was probably just a regular you-can-step-on-me-but-if-you-take-your-foot-off-me-you-die kind of a mine. And these could be easily tricked.

Taking a deep breath, he took his sniper rifle and pointed the barrel downward toward the ground. Carefully, delicately, he pushed the barrel into the mine, replacing his weight with the guns. Peter took his foot off and breathed a sigh of relief when it didn't explode. But he wasn't done yet. Leaning down carefully, he found the outline of the mine. He continued to push the same amount of weight down onto the mine with his sniper rifle as he pulled the mine out of the dirt.

Soon, he was holding the mine in his hand, pushing the trigger down with his thumb. Whistling softly to himself, he backed out of the minefield and looked around. He found a rock and replaced his thumb with it. It was an odd combination with the rock sitting placidly on top of the mine.

"Hm," Peter sniffed. He tossed the mine into the minefield and was greeted by a lovely symphony of explosions that tossed debris and dirt around him. After the dirt settled, Peter walked into the tower, humming to himself. It was the same annoying melody that James always hummed to himself. James claimed that he didn't know where it came from but still it was catchy.

Peter made his way up to the top of the tower, towards the control room. Peter experienced no kind of interference at all. He guessed that whoever was up there didn't expect anyone to make it past the minefield. Or they thought this battle would go their way.

Reaching the door, Peter paused and moved to one side of the door. He pressed a button on his Omni-Tool and his red-eye revealed the heat signatures within the room. The only heat he could see was the heat from the computers and monitors. Nothing else.

Peter slowly grabbed the handle of the door and pushed the door open, still keeping to the side of the door. The door opened part of the way before banging onto something. Judging from the blood on the floor, Peter guessed it was one of the Control Tower members.

Peter raised his assault rifle and prepared to enter the room.

Hiding nearby, his body heat hidden by the heat from the surrounding computers, Brutus raised his pistol at the door.

Peter entered the room and was instantly shot at by Brutus. Peter quickly rolled to the side while his shields pelted off the bullets. Getting back onto his feet, Peter peppered the room with the shots from his rifle. But Brutus had rolled to the side and taken cover behind a computer. Peter quickly shot at the computer, blowing it to pieces.

However, Brutus was faster and quickly flanked Peter. Brutus fired multiple shots at Peter's head while Peter rolled away and around Brutus. Brutus' eyes trailed after Peter and as Peter rolled back onto his feet, Brutus thwacked him in the head with the butt of his gun.

Peter had taken much worse than that, so it barely fazed him. Peter slammed the butt of his own rifle into Brutus' stomach. He grunted and dropped his pistol but still managed to punch Peter in his ribs, causing him to cough. Brutus quickly grabbed Peter's assault rifle and slammed the butt of the gun upwards toward Peter's chin.

Peter blinked away the black specks that floated into his vision as Brutus slammed the rifle into Peter's throat. Peter coughed but managed to grab Brutus' left hand with his own left hand. Peter pulled the hand towards him and slammed the elbow with the palm of his right hand, breaking it instantly. Brutus yelled in surprise and dropped the rifle. Peter chopped Brutus' exposed neck, cutting the scream off and causing Brutus to stumble back.

Peter reached for the shotgun on his back, but Brutus, left arm dangling with each movement, kicked Peter's face with the instep of his foot. Peter felt the shock resonate throughout his skull, but he still managed to keep his eyes open. Brutus brought the same leg back around, preparing to hit Peter again with his heel. Raising his hands quickly, Peter caught Brutus' leg with his arm and brought it underneath his arm and into his armpit, locking it. Then, with the knuckle of his middle finger guiding, he punched a nerve in his leg that he had been trained to hit many times before.

If Brutus had not been in pain before, he was now. Brutus screamed in agony as Peter slid his foot behind Brutus' other foot. He released Brutus' leg and chopped Brutus again in the neck. The force cause Brutus to trip over Peter's leg and he slammed into the ground. Peter grabbed his pistol and dropped onto his enemy. Brutus grabbed his knife and dug it deep into the space between Peter's shoulder plate and arm plate, causing him to grunt in surprise and fire his rifle, which dug into the ground next to Brutus' head. Brutus pulled the knife out prepared to slam it into Peter's chest.

Peter moved his hand and blocked the arm, pausing the knife in mid-swing. Peter tried to move his pistol back to Brutus' head, but Brutus surprised him as he dug his teeth into Peter's wrist, between the two armor plates. Peter could see the desperation in his eyes now as they stared at each other. The knife was inching closer to Peter's chest while Brutus' teeth were digging into his wrist.

Slowly, Peter began to weaken, Brutus pushed forward until he rolled on top of Peter, pinning him down. Peter gritted his teeth and tried to push forward, but he had been running almost all day, while Brutus had just been sitting in a chair, waiting. Slowly, Peter felt the knife dig deep into the space between his chest and his arm, taking advantage of the space between the armor plate.

Peter groaned sharply as he felt the blade slide into his body and the warm trickle of blood leak out. Peter glanced down and noticed Brutus' broken arm on the ground. Inhaling sharply, Peter lifted his foot as much as he could and slammed it into the broken arm's hand.

Brutus screamed at the pain, freeing Peter's hand. Peter punched Brutus' chin as hard as he could, which caused his jaw to snap shut, biting into Brutus' slanderous tongue. Peter grabbed the knife imbedded into his body, tore it out and slammed it into Brutus' neck.

Peter pushed Brutus' body and left him to gurgle and splutter as he walked over to the communication station. Peter turned on the station and opened a channel.

"_SSV Agincourt_, this is Serviceman 2nd Class Peter Lamont," Peter said, trying not to stutter. "Elysium is under attack. Requesting assistance, over."

\::/::\::/::\::/

"The answer is still no, Kent," Major Custer on the screen told the Captain.

"Sir, with all due respect," Kent tried to hide his frustration. Pressly prayed that he would. "I've been informed by an N7 soldier that Elysium is under attack! We have to go down and help them!"

"And I'm telling you that we don't have enough information," Custer continued. "We don't know if that message was meant to lead us into a trap or not! Besides, if they were under attack, we would have seen something from space! We are not mounting a rescue until we get further information! And that's final!"

Custer disappeared at the end of it, leaving Kent to fume to himself. Kent gazed down at the planet, the storm still obscuring the city from view. Kent thought to himself for a moment. He then moved to Pressly's station.

"What's the situation on that storm?" Kent asked and leaned forward.

"Still will be another hour or so before the storm dissipates, it looks like," Pressly said. "But by the looks of it-"

Kent whispered something into his ear, too soft for anyone to hear.

"-there's a wind coming in from the east that may push it onward, extending it further," Pressly finished.

"Keep an eye on it," Kent said before he turned away and continued to tour the ship, hands on his back and whistling to himself.

Pressly waited at his station, pressing this and checking that. He knew why Kent whispered to him instead of ordering him. All Alliance vessels were outfitted with microphones to listen and record all that took place on the ship. It made it easier to understand what happened during a battle. He whispered to him so that the microphone couldn't record it. This was so that Pressly or anyone else couldn't get hurt afterwards. So, after a few minutes, Pressly stood up, feigning a bathroom run. He walked to the back of the ship and down the stairs.

Five minutes passed and Pressly walked back to his post, whistling to himself and feeling rather proud. He continued to do his work as if he had never gone at all. 15 minutes later, hell broke loose.

"Sir! I'm reading a complete failure in engine 2!" a man called.

"Element Zero core is about to go offline!" another man shouted.

Oh no, Pressly thought to himself. Kent smiled at him. After the battle, he would give Pressly his Officer's Commission.

"Whelp, looks like we're gonna have to go down to ground level and fix it!" Kent stated. "If we don't, we're gonna explode in space! Pilot, take us down."

"Aye aye, sir," the pilot answered.

Pressly felt the ship lurch downwards towards the planet's surface. A ping came from his dashboard.

"Kent, just what are you doing?" Custer was back.

"Going groundside, sir," Kent told him. "Our engine's down and our eezo core is going offline. We need to go down and repair it. We'll just be below the cloud layer, sir, nothing major."

Custer seemed to know exactly what Kent was doing. But, surprisingly, he didn't try to stop him. In a way, Kent would be able to gather more information. So, for now, Custer would allow this. Pressly contained his sigh of relief.

They soon entered the planet's atmosphere and entered the storm.

\::/::\::/::\::/

A clash of iron and a spark of fire as the two blades clashed against each other for a second time in Shepard's life. As Elanos Haliat, his old master charged towards him (a massive grin on his face, as always), Shepard charged forward with a murderous rage. He didn't care if the colony was destroyed. He didn't care if the Alliance would be destroyed. He didn't care if the universe was destroyed. He didn't care if his soul was devoured. All he cared about was killing this man.

"Do you know? I didn't expect to meet you so soon!" Elanos laughed. "I knew you were on the planet but who would have guessed that you'd be defending the part of the wall that I just so happened to burst through! Fate really is on my side today!"

"And on mine!" Shepard smiled. "I was always itching to kill you!"

"For what? For Mindoir?" Elanos scoffed, dodging a slash. "You know my tastes. You know I voted against attacking Mindoir! You still want my blood for that?"

"You were their contact on the planet!" Shepard shouted. "You told them when to strike!"

"Get over yourself!" Elanos scolded, knife shooting forward. "You're not mad because I helped enslave a bunch of civilians! You're not some knight in shining armor going out for revenge, no matter how you paint yourself to be! The real reason you're mad at me-" blades collided and lightning crashed "-is because I forced you to kill!"

"**Shut up!"** Shepard shouted, slashing forward. Elanos dodged it easily and punched him in the face, knocking him to the mud. Elanos jumped on him and put the knife to his throat. Shepard blinked away the rain while Elanos looked him square in the eye.

"You're mad at me because I made you kill in front of that pathetic family of yours," Elanos told him. "I made you kill in front of those fools you seemed to care about so much! I showed them who you really are! _What_ you really are! You can't stop hiding from it any longer! You are a killer! You are a man who takes lives left and right! It doesn't matter if you hate it; death follows you wherever you go! Get used to it!"

Shepard kneed Elanos in the groin and pushed him off of himself. Shepard rolled to the side and brought his knife upwards, preparing for a strike. Surprisingly, it didn't come. Elanos merely looked at him…almost sadly.

"You love this," Elanos said, rain dripping down his cheeks. "Violence, war, fighting, bloodshed. You love it all. You relish in it. It's where you come alive. You're just too afraid to admit it, masking your motivations behind heroic things such as 'defending the weak' and 'defending the honor of your comrade,' but really, you love it all."

"I thought we were fighting, not debating philosophy," Shepard growled.

"In time, in time," Elanos chuckled. "I'm just trying to get you to understand that if you love something, love it honestly. So, _I_ say, if you love killing, be honest about it! Say that you love the way your blade enters a man's neck! Say that you love the way their blood soaks your skin!"

"You insane-!" Shepard charged forward, slashing at Elanos. Elanos blocked them all with his own blade, backing away as he did.

"_Me_, insane?" Elanos laughed. "That's not what _I_ saw on Mindoir! When you killed that batarian in front of that poor girl, showering in his blood, I saw the look on your face!"

"_**Shut up!"**_ Shepard screamed, stabbing forward. Elanos moved to the side and punched Shepard in the gut. Shepard coughed and fell to the ground. He felt like he had just been shot. Elanos left him on the ground, coughing.

"That was always your problem," Elanos said. "Once you get angry, you can't stop yourself. A person with no control of their actions is _so_ much easier to control. Now, you listen to me, boy. You can't deny that death follows you wherever you go. Earth, Mindoir, and now here. You better embrace that side of yourself and soon before you hurt yourself. Or those you say you love. But, I guess I can't stop you from thinking the way you do. But you'll have to square away with the part of you that enjoys it and fast. Before you lose all control of yourself."

Shepard looked up and squinted his eyes. Elanos followed his gaze.

From on high, the Alliance Navy was entering the atmosphere, breaking apart the storm clouds in the process. Dwarfing the Terminus System's own ships by sheer size, the Navy came down like eagles descending from their roost. They outnumbered the Terminus System ships nearly 2 to 1. It would be a close fight, but in the end, the Alliance would win. Elanos knew this.

"Oh crap," Elanos sighed. This battle was over.

In the city, James finished killing the last of the mercenaries and looked up. It was 50 against him, which he thought was good odds considering he had been fighting all day. Now, all 50 of them lay strewn on the floor, dying in whatever way they felt was best for them. Slowly and painfully or with dignity, he didn't really care after he was done with them. Lighting a cigarette, he took a deep breath and blew out a large cloud into the rain.

"I can see clearly, now, the rain has gone," James hummed to himself. It wasn't as catchy as they one his mother taught him (the one that he forgot the name of) but it seemed to fit the situation.

By the bunkers, Andrew looked up at the descending ships after he took down a rogue drop ship, the debris strewn everywhere around him. Andrew couldn't help but smile.

"Good job, Pete," Andrew said.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Peter ran through the streets and dissipating rain, smiling to himself. He did it. He completed his mission. Now he needed to get back to the wall. There was still a battle to fight and he needed to help in anyway he could.

He knew James would be okay. He wasn't the kind to do anything stupid and reckless. He would do whatever Shepard told him to do. He was loyal like that.

Shepard would also be fine. Sure he would do something reckless and stupid, but he would be able to get out of it fine. With as many scars as possible, though that wasn't on purpose.

And Andrew…his big brother was Superman. Nothing could hurt him.

Peter smiled at the thought.

"Why you smiling, N7?" a gruff voice called.

Peter dropped to the ground and raised his assault rifle. Looking around, he tried to find where the voice came from.

"Over here, N7," the krogan said, coming out from the corner.

Peter fired his rifle, the bullets bouncing off of the shield, as well as the biotic barrier.

"Well, this human ain't very nice, is he?" another krogan said behind him.

Peter grabbed his pistol, holding the two guns in each hand.

"Nope, he ain't very nice at all. Such bad manners," a third krogan said dropping to the ground in front of Peter.

Peter watched as 13 krogans surrounded him, no fear in his eyes. He felt no fear of any kind. The Retgar 13 moved towards him slowly, arms raised and mouths watering, drool dripping on the floor.

"Don't take this personally," one of the krogans said. "There's a million credit reward on your head."

"Isn't there a billion credit reward?" one of the younger krogans asked.

"Maybe," the oldest one answered. "We could ask for a raise in price later."

"Sweet," the younger krogan grinned.

"Now, N7, this can go down in a number of ways," one of them said. "You let us kill you and it'll be quick. If you fight back…I promise you it'll be slow and painful. We'll make sure of it."

Peter looked from one to the other. 13 krogans and no way out.

No way out.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Shepard panted on the ground, blood dripping from his wounds. He coughed and looked up at Elanos, who looked down at him, sadly.

"Let's make this count. I've been waiting for this," Elanos nearly begged.

Shepard hurt all over. He barely had enough energy to stand, let alone kill a man as skilled as Elanos. Still, he forced himself to stand onto his feet, gripping his knife tightly. Shepard blinked away the rain and mud, ready to kill. However, a voice on his comm. stopped him.

"Hey guys," Peter's voice was calm. No stutter.

"Kind of busy here, Pete," Shepard said.

"Just came to say good-bye," Peter said. Shepard froze.

"What?" Shepard asked.

"What the hell's this?" James exclaimed on the radio, looking around the streets. He was running back to the wall, but now stopped in place.

"Peter, what's wrong?" Andrew asked, trying to listen over the cheers of the men who helped him guard the barracks.

"Sorry, Shepard," Peter continued. He could almost hear the smile. "Looks like you won't be able to beat me at chess. Nor you, Andrew."

"Petey, what the hell's going on?" James asked hurriedly. He was beginning the pace.

"James, you should really learn to look after yourself," Peter told him. "You shouldn't always do what people tell you to do."

"Peter, talk to us, what's going on?" Andrew asked, a worried expression growing on his face. The last time Peter talked like this, their mother had caught him stealing cookies out of the jar.

"And Andrew…" Peter paused.

Andrew inhaled.

"…I love you, big bro," Peter said. "Bury my body on a hill when you find me."

Shepard froze and looked back at the city. He heard a ruffling on the radio; grunting and he saw something fly above the city. Shepard gazed at it.

It was Peter's red-eye.

"My body'll be here," Peter finished. There was a sound of gunfire and the red-eye exploded. Peter had marked his location.

James saw it.

Andrew saw it.

Shepard looked at Elanos. Elanos turned away.

"We'll fight some other time," Elanos said over his shoulder. "I want to fight you in your prime, not in this pathetic state. Fate will it, we'll meet again." Shepard stared after him for a moment.

He darted away towards the city, as did James and Andrew. All towards the place where the red-eye exploded.

"Sorry, but I can't go down quietly," Peter told his assailants, radio still on.

"Too bad," a krogan growled.

Andrew would remember that voice for the rest of his life. All three of them would remember the sounds that came afterwards for the rest of their lives.

_(a sound of gunfire and something drops to the ground) __**"I am an Alliance Soldier!"**_

Andrew sprinted as fast as he could, jumping over bodies and debris.

_(another sound of gunfire, followed by a grunt) __**"I am a Warrior and a member of a team!"**_

James leapt over a railing and continued to run.

_(a sound of gunfire, followed by the sound of a punch impacting) __**"I serve the people of the Systems Alliance, and live the Military Values!"**_

Shepard ran through the mud, his face caked in it.

_(a fourth sound of gunfire, followed by Peter slamming into something, grunting) __**"I will always place the mission first!"**_

Andrew remembered the time he taught Peter how to play chess. And the first time Peter beat him at it.

_(a punch and the sound of deep breaths from his assailants)_ _**"I will never accept defeat!"**_

James remembered the time Peter showed him the red-eye he invented. He remembered how James teased the way he looked.

_(the sound of teeth chomping down on flesh; Peter screaming) __**"I will never quit!"**_

Shepard remembered the first time he met Peter. How he thought he looked weak. How wrong he was.

_(the sound of laughter as they plunged something into meat) __**"I will never leave a fallen comrade!"**_

Andrew remembered when Peter followed him into the Alliance.

_(the sound of the assailants dragging Peter somewhere else) __**"I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills!"**_

James remembered the first time Peter tried cigarettes. How James laughed at his coughing.

_(the sound of something ripped apart. Peter's voice is weaker now, but still as strong as ever) __**"I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself!"**_

Shepard remembered when Peter watched Shepard practice his knife forms.

_(the sound of Peter getting slammed into the wall and Peter coughing)_ **"I am an expert and I am a professional!"**

Andrew remembered when he promised his dying mother to protect Peter with his life.

_(the sound of wire wrapping around something as something else is torn off, something wet dripping) _**"I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy, the enemies of the Systems Alliance in close combat!"**

James remembered when Peter promised him to find out what the name of the tune was that James kept humming.

_(the sound of something cutting into flesh and laughter) _**"I am a guardian of freedom and the Alliance way of life!"**

Shepard remembered when he promised Peter a knife of his own. And he would teach him.

_(the sound of Peter's breathing and laughter walking away, disappearing in the distance)_ "I am an Alliance Soldier."

It was weak and quiet, yet they all heard power in it. The radio was silent afterwards. Silent, except the sound of dripping and the wind. And the distant cheers as the Terminus Systems were fought off.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Shepard, James and Andrew came together at an intersection. It was the place where they saw the red-eye explode. Yet, they saw no enemies. No Peter. Anywhere.

"Krogans," James stated as he examined the three dead krogan bodies lying on the ground.

"Look around," Shepard said, a worried expression on his face.

The three looked around the area, searching for some sign of their comrade. Andrew peered at the ground, looking for something of Peter's. Something, _anything!_ Anything that could be used to find his little brother! Andrew tore through the ground, tossing away the bodies to make room.

He found his blood.

Andrew followed the blood into a nearby alleyway. Andrew looked up. Eyes widening and tears forming, he fell to his knees, mouth agape in shock and defeat.

James saw Andrew fall and rushed to his side. James followed Andrew's gaze and froze. He put a hand against the wall to steady himself.

Shepard looked over and rushed to their side. Shepard's energy left him and he nearly tripped and fell. Shepard pushed on and rushed to his comrade's side. He looked into the dark alleyway and…

…

Peter was hung with a rusty piece of wire that tore into his neck, the blood leaking from the cuts. He was dropped; no, that would have been too merciful. He was merely hung there and left to gasp his last breath. To make sure the wind wouldn't knock him down, his hands were impaled onto the brick wall by serrated nails as thick as the barrel of Peter's sniper rifle. His legs were torn completely off of his body and tossed away in a nearby trashcan like they were unimportant. His stomach and chest were cut open, exposing the ribcage and organs to the world to see. His intestines were hanging in the wind like the branches of a willow tree. The sternum was broken inwards by a massive hand.

His eyes were still closed and the area around his mouth was caked in blood.

On the ground in front of this grizzly scene, Peter's heart was impaled on a spike, like a warning to all.

John felt like throwing up. Andrew merely stared, tears running down his face.

James held his composure as he walked up to the body. He looked at John and signaled him to come over. Like a puppet, John went over and helped James take the body down. It was a long process (the stakes were particularly hard to take out) but they finally managed to take Peter's body down and place it gently and reverently on the sidewalk out of the alley.

Andrew stared at Peter's body for a moment. Then collapsed on top of it, bawling and sobbing hysterically. James and John did not judge him in the slightest; the thought never even occurred to him. They left him alone.

They heard a cough and a krogan's body moved.

James and John moved forward grabbed the krogan's body, dragging it into the alleyway. They sat him upright as he coughed out orange blood. He laughed.

"Your friend fought well," Thorix chuckled. "He took down our youngest in no time at all. Poor Voldur and Coldur. They didn't even stand a chance." He coughed.

"Did you do this?" John asked him coldly.

"Me and my 12 other companions," Thorix said. "The ones you guys call the Retgar 13, if I remember correctly. He fought on till the end. A good warrior, even at the end. You guy's his friends?"

"Listen to me and listen good, _friend_," John said, venom on his tongue. "We were his friends, brothers and teammates. If it were up to me, I'd kill you myself. But someone else has a better claim to your life than him or me. He'll deal with you."

James and John stepped back and exited the alleyway. A minute later, Andrew stumbled into the alleyway, blurry eyed and silent. He gazed down at the old krogan, eyes blank and unfocused.

"You did that to my brother?" Andrew asked quietly. The krogan spat out blood.

"Yeah," Thorix answered.

Andrew began by tearing out the krogan's eyes.

James and John stood outside the alley, keeping a watch over the body. They could hear the grunts and screams within the alley. The sound of Andrew's biotics humming with each hit. It was an odd sound, hearing a krogan beg for his life. John didn't think a krogan could do that. And yet, the sound was oddly comforting. Sure, they knew this wouldn't bring back Peter. Nothing would, they knew that. But this would save some bit of honor that Peter had. At least, that's what John thought.

"Did I kill him?" John wondered.

"No," James disagreed.

"It was my decision to let him go to the Control Tower," John stated. "My choice to make him go. My choice led him here."

"This and that are completely different," James told him.

"I don't think so," John said. "The past always affects the future. Your decisions now always affect the future."

"Old Norse concept of wyrd, huh?" James stated.

"It was my decision to have Peter reestablish contact with the Navy," John continued. "Because of my choice, he's here. Huh. I wonder what would happen if I chose _you_ to go instead."

"I probably would have chosen a different road to run down," James answered. "In fact, Peter could have chosen a different road than this one."

"So you're saying that it was his choice to die?" John asked.

"Nope," James said. "I'm saying that we choose what road to walk down. What happens in the scenery depends on other people. The krogan's chose to watch this road instead of others. They chose to kill Peter instead of you or me. Their choice, not yours and definitely not Peter's.

It sounded like Andrew was choking the krogan now. John looked up at the sky, blinking away the sun. Beside him, James lit a cigarette and blew out a plume of smoke.

"You know that'll kill you one day," John said quietly.

"True," James agreed, his voice a hushed whisper.

"I hate the smell of it," John noted.

"I know," James said simply. James looked over and offered him a smoke, already lit. John stared at it for a minute, with the sound of screams behind him. John took the smoke and inhaled it and breathed it out.

"First smoke," James noted. "How is it?"

"I always thought I'd cough when I inhaled," John said.

"It happens to some people," James answered. "Not all."

Andrew was done. He walked out, hands covered in the krogan's blood. He fell on his knees and placed his head on Peter's chest.

"I hate the smoke," John stated quietly, tears forming on his eyes.

"Why?" James asked. John slid down the wall and cradled his head in his hands, hiding his face.

"It always stings my eyes!" John breathed as the tears poured forth.

As James smoked and stared at the sun, and as Andrew tried to listen for the heartbeat from Peter's chest that would never come, John cried. As the sun beat down on the heroes of Elysium, John cried.

* * *

Obvious Stephen King reference above if you read his books. Also, the young woman's name is meaningful. I dare you guess where it comes from. Also, I don't know how mines or bombs work. And I don't know if computers generate enough heat to completely mask a human body's own heat. And yes, the navy would probably just go in guns blazing at the mere mention that Elysium is under attack. It's called dramatic effect. Just go with it.

Also, I'm pretty sure I warned you guys I had a dark imagination at times. Should probably put a warning up at the top but this is rated M. And yes, I had that scene from The Silence Of The Lambs when Hannibal escapes in my mind when I wrote that scene. If you've seen it, you'll know what I'm talking about.

On a story related note, I would like to apologize to all my readers. I know that this flashback is taking a while and you all want to go back to the main storyline. I had originally thought this out as 3 chapters. But when I started writing them out, the plotlines just got longer and longer and I'm now sitting on five parts, and it looks like this flashback will continue on for another two chapters.

I do apologize for how long this flashback is taking. Considering the length, I have begun combining the chapters together so that I can shorten the amount of time spent. They'll just be extremely long chapters, but I think you guys can handle that. I hope you will.

So, again, I apologize for how long this is taking and I thank you for your patience. Expect more of these flashbacks, though, because we have to delve into Shepard's history and why he is who he is. All the plotlines are important and I do have a plan for him as well as the other side-characters. When we return to the Citadel, I'll actually delve into Ashley's character, though I think (I hope) it won't take that long.

Considering that this is my first FanFiction story, I may be in over my head. So I apologize for how long this is taking. And I thank you for sticking with me (if you're still there that is. I may actually be talking to nobody at all because I lost you all when I went to part 3 of my flashback.)

And for all who keep up with Mass Effect news: it has just been announced that there will be a 4-part comic book mini-series called Mass Effect: Redemption that will take place before Mass Effect 2. Apparently, Shepard goes missing and Liara has to go find him. Why do I think this is important? Because there is a _very_ smoking hot/badass picture of Liara on the cover…

Well I think it's interesting! :(

Till next time. I hope.


	33. Chapter 25: War Hero, Finale

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«-3.01: Elysium: Kronos Military Base: Interrogation Room»

«or War Hero, Finale»

«…Seven Years Ago…»

"Please state your name and rank," the interrogator asked pleasantly.

"Wow," Major Troy Paris marveled sarcastically. "The battle was over an hour ago and I'm already in an interrogation room! You guys are fast!"

"Please state your name and rank," the interrogator asked again, still pleasant.

"I mean, I didn't even get a chance to party it up with all the other fools," Troy said. "And boom! I'm already here! Being interrogated by some idiot."

"Please state your name and rank," the interrogator repeated.

"Fine, fine," Troy said. "Major Troy Paris, _former_ head of the defense of Elysium."

"Thanks you," the interrogator said. "Now, please, tell me in your own words what happened today."

"Well, I was reading through some files on my desk," Troy said absentmindedly. "I heard a commotion outside. Explosions, gunfire, and stuff like that, so I went outside to check it out. I saw the battle. The Terminus Systems were attacking us during the storm. I knew that we had to act immediately so I rallied the men."

"Including the Servicemen Shepard, the Lamont brothers and Wong?" the interrogator asked.

"Yes, including them," Troy said. "We were getting ready when, for no apparent reason, _Shepard_ knocked me out cold! I was getting ready to get work and protect the city and then _whack!_ Next thing I know, I wake up and I'm in the hospital bed with an armed guard!"

The interrogator was silent for a moment.

"Are you aware of reports stating that you had become deranged?" the interrogator asked. "That you had become a danger to yourself and others? That Shepard saw this and relieved you of command?"

"Is that what they say?" Troy asked, getting angry. "Did they say I was crazy? All I was doing was trying to get the men in order and make them focus on their mission! I was trying to keep them focused! Get them organized so they could protect the colony!"

"Please sit down, Major," the interrogator asked politely. Troy fumed, clenching his fists tightly. Reluctantly, Troy sat back down onto his seat and crossed his arms. "Now, we have reports from several eye-witnesses saying how you wanted the soldiers to charge the invaders. Shepard told you it would be suicide but you insisted that the men charge. That was when Shepard 'relieved' you of command, was it not?"

"I don't recall," Troy told him, touching the bump on his head.

The interrogator was silent. There was a ring at the nearby door and the interrogator got up and exited the room. Troy watched it all play out in front of him, squinting in the pale light of the room. There was another buzz and another form entered the room, his face hidden by the shadows the light played.

"Evening, Major," Admiral Hackett said politely, his husky voice resounding in the room.

"Admiral?" Troy scoffed. "You were pretty quick to get here."

"The wonders of the Relay system," Hackett replied.

"Clearly," Troy said, smugly. "So what? You here to give me a promotion?"

"The games over, Paris," Hackett said. "We know you were behind the attack." Troy flinched slightly.

"What do you mean?" Troy whispered.

"Do you think we were stupid? That we didn't notice the amount of messages you were getting from off planet?" Hackett asked. "Though, to give them credit, they had encrypted the messages well. It took a while to decrypt them but we did eventually. We knew you were aiding the Terminus Systems and the batarians with the planning of the attack." Troy looked at him and smiled. He was caught.

"Then why didn't you arrest me?" Troy asked.

"Mainly because what we could get was circumstantial," Hackett replied. "When we finally_ did_ get the evidence, it was too late. The attack was underway."

Silence filled the room.

"So what happens now?" Troy asked.

"Now, you tell me why you did it?" Hackett asked. Troy scoffed.

"History remembers the people who do great things," Troy said simply. "Leonidas, Caesar, Alexander the Great, Hitler, Bin Laden. Men like them are forever remembered in history for the great things they did, even though they might have been terrible things. Will history remember you, Admiral? What have you done? Nothing. What have I done? Nothing. But I saw a chance to be remembered. A chance to have my name engraved by the historians for all time! I would be forever remembered like the 300 Spartans. How the few stood up against the many! Even you can see the appeal! I would be remembered as the man who defended Elysium from the thousands of slavers who tried to destroy her! Forever!"

Hackett was silent as Troy caught his breath. The light flickered for a moment.

"Is that why you did it?" Hackett asked. "So that you could be remembered forever?"

Troy laughed.

"Yup," he answered. "I would leave men like you in the dust for all eternity!"

"Well, personally I don't see the appeal," Hackett replied. "So what if you're remembered forever? Who cares? You say that you'll be remembered like Hitler or Bin Laden. Those men were remembered for killing thousands of innocent people, so I don't think that's a very good way to be remembered."

"But I wouldn't be remembered for killing thousands of innocent people," Troy replied. "I would be remembered for saving an entire colony!"

"But thousands of people would have died because of it," Hackett said. "Whatever way you split it, you still kill thousands of people because of your selfishness. Because of your need to be remembered, men and women died. Their deaths are on your head. What makes you any different than those psychopaths?"

"Nothing," Troy smiled smugly. Hackett restrained himself from punching the idiot in the face.

"Sure," Hackett said slowly. "Humans like the men and women out there may remember those that committed atrocities. All humans are morbid like that; they only remember the darker aspect of things. That's what makes the news. But in the end, men like them may be remembered for a century, but it won't matter. Because what people will truly remember are the men and women who fought against men like them. The ones who stood up and strived to make sure no more innocents were harmed. Men like Shepard, Lamont, and Wong. Men like the soldiers who held off the enemy while the city burned around them. _They_ are the ones worth remembering."

"But they are hardly the ones remembered," Troy said, leaning back. "But it doesn't matter. In the end, I failed. But I guess I did fool you guys long enough. I guess that'll have to be enough."

Hackett scoffed and made his way to the door.

"Can I assume that, since you didn't have enough evidence to go on," Troy asked. "That is why you sent the four N7's to me? To keep an eye on me?"

"That was part of it," Hackett replied. "But mostly it was because out of all the N7 soldiers we trained, first generation and second generation, those four were among the few who would not follow your orders."

"I don't understand," Troy stated.

"We trained our N7s to follow whatever orders a superior officer gave them," Hackett explained. "Without question. Those four, however…we could never really get them follow our orders. Andrew was more concerned about protecting his brother Peter, Peter just followed his brother, James…well, he just did whatever John told him to. And John? He was a loose cannon. All we could really do was point him in a direction. So, did we send them to watch out for you? Yes, but we never told them that. But it was also because of their disobedience. They would have never followed the orders of a man like you. They would have knocked you out cold again and again."

Troy frowned at Hackett. Hackett tipped his hat to Troy before walking out of the door and leaving Troy to his thoughts.

Hackett walked through the hallways and out the front door. When he opened them, he was greeted to the festivities and cheers of the victory. Men were playing music louder than usual. Children were playing in the streets, trying not to get in the way of the soldiers bumbling past. Drinks were served to all, whether they got paid or not.

All except for the three waiting by the door. They didn't stand up to salute him and Hackett didn't expect them to. They had been through a lot. Andrew, his eyes red and puffy, was sitting cross-legged on the ground, staring at nothing. James was smoking another one of his cigarettes and was playing his guitar, humming the tune to no one in particular. Hackett recognized the tune immediately. It was an old tune but one of those timeless tunes that humanity would never forget.

"Dust in the wind?" Hackett asked. "By Kansas?"

James simply nodded and continued, strumming the strings with his fingers.

Shepard was staring out across the horizon and at the setting sun. He hadn't said a word after he had given his report. In his hand, he gripped his knife, its blade shining in the sun, having been washed and polished. He pressed the knife close to his chest, like it comforted him.

Hackett stood next to Shepard, joining him. Hackett worked on his Omni-Tool, sending his report away to the other Admirals and telling them the situation. He would hear their reply soon.

"What did Troy say?" Shepard asked.

Hackett told him.

"Is that it?" Shepard asked.

Hackett nodded.

"So what will you do with him now?" Shepard asked.

"Officially, we're going to send him away to a military prison for the rest of his life," Hackett said. "Treason."

"Is that all?" Shepard growled. "Men die because of his lunacy and all he gets is a slap on the wrists?"

"Afraid so," Hackett said.

Shepard sniffed and gripped his knife tighter. After a moment, he slammed the knife back into its sheathe.

"This 'invasion' was all his idea," Shepard muttered. "He was responsible for the deaths of all those people."

Andrew blinked.

"I know," Hackett said. "But our intelligence proves that the Terminus Systems had gone ahead of the plan by months. This 'invasion' should have happened five months from now. But because this Haliat fellow altered the deal, it happened today. It looks like that's what he was planning the entire time. Troy may have instigated the plan, but the real criminals are the batarians. The Terminus Systems to be precise. Troy was cut out of the plan well before you got here. He was just a side-effect."

"Yeah," Shepard muttered. "He was still part of the plan. Just a very bad negotiator."

"Either way this looks bad for the Alliance," Hackett said. "A traitor."

"In the end, he still get's what he wants," Shepard said silently. "History always remembers the traitors."

Hackett received a message from his fellow Admirals. He read it over a few times before agreeing with it. He looked up at the sun again.

"Well, tomorrow the Admirals will be releasing some news," Hackett said. "Major Troy Paris was accidently killed by friendly fire. Got in the way of some of his men and was gunned down. Pure accident. Nothing could be done." Shepard looked up.

"Is that so?" Shepard asked.

"Yup," Hackett replied, moving down the hill towards the festivities. "Once in the head and three times across the chest. Pure accident. Tragic loss. But one of many this week."

Hackett walked down the hill without a single backward glance. Shepard watched him walk to the bottom of the hill before taking a deep breath. He glanced at his teammates, silently asking their opinion.

Andrew looked at him and shook his head. He wasn't up to it.

James held out his hand, telling Shepard to take it.

Shepard nodded and walked into the building.

James threw his cigarette on the ground and looked at his guitar, placing his fingers where they needed to be. He began to strum the strings, its note reaching high into the air. It was a lovely tune, simple yet powerful. Not very long, either. By the time he was done, Shepard had already walked back through the doors and had sat down on the railing. James gave him one of his cigarettes and lit it for him. Shepard inhaled and blew out a cloud in front of him.

The next few days were a blur for Shepard. Most of it was in helping to clean up the city, say condolences to a few of the families, etc. For most of it, Shepard wasn't there mentally. He didn't really care. He didn't care that much for these people, or their smiles. More and more, Shepard found himself disgusted by them. He didn't really know why, but for some reason, he didn't like them at all. They just continued to annoy him with their fake gratitude and ceaseless smiling. Peter died for these people? No, he didn't die. Shepard killed him.

Shepard was awarded the Star of Terra for his heroism, the highest honor bestowed to any marine. It was just a piece of metal to him. He didn't care about it at all. These people clapped, his picture was taken, cameras were filming but he didn't dare smile for them. Why should he? He wasn't happy about it. A few hundred people died because they followed his orders and they award him with a medal. Peter died because of him and they label him a hero. Shepard tried his best not to throw up on them all. And the minute of silence? A single minute? A minute of silence did not do the men justice. A single minute wasn't enough time to remember all of them. It didn't do Peter justice.

These people surrounding him revolted him. Were these truly the kinds of people humanity had become? Were these the kinds of people they had fought to protect? They didn't fool Shepard. On Mindoir, he had seen the falseness of human compassion. On Earth, he had seen the true extent of man's cruelties. He knew that these people were the same. And they had actually fought to defend them. If so…

…if so, then Peter's death was in vain. For John Shepard saw no reason to lift a finger to help these people. It didn't make any sense to.

They left, eventually. Finally.

Shepard sat on the drop ship that would lead him to an orbiting ship. Sitting next to him were some of the people in his life that made any sense to him. The comforted him. Not all of humanity was disgusting. Andrew wasn't. James wasn't. Hannah wasn't.

Still, he had to shut them out. He was bitter and angry. Shepard didn't want to lash out at them. So he plunged his headphones into his ears and listened to his music through his Omni-Tool. Within his music, he didn't have to put up with their lies.

For now.

So, as he left the planet's surface and the system, Shepard listened to his music and lost himself within it.

_Playing playlist entitled "John's Oldies"…_

_Selecting random track…_

_Track #296: _"Solitary Ground" _by_ "Epica" _from_ "Consign to Oblivion (2005)"

_Playing track…_

"_Living at different places,  
Evading into various spaces,  
My compass has broken; I'm losing the way,  
An ongoing madness has led me astray,_

_My past breathes down my neck,  
And it seems now that all I can do is,  
Go back to beginnings when all lay ahead,  
A fading illusion now plagues me instead,_

_In me there's still a place that fulfils me,  
A sanctity here that I call home and run to,  
When winter descends,  
If I try can I find solid ground,_

_I follow elusive paths,  
Oh it seems they've been written in stone,  
And the door to a new life is closing so fast,  
Burning the bridges will not bring me back,_

_In me there's still a place that fulfils me,  
A sanctity here that I call home and run to,  
When winter descends,  
If I try can I find solid ground,_

_In me there's still a place that fulfils me,  
A sanctity here that I call home and run to,  
When winter descends,  
If I try can I find solid ground,_

_I know that in me there still a place that fulfils me,  
A sanctity here, that I call home and run to,  
When winter descends,  
If I try can I find solid ground,  
Or am I just wasting time?"_

\

2183

… Back on the Normandy…

\

The mess hall was silent. Shepard sat in his chair staring at his hands. Ashley stared at Shepard, looking quite stunned. Kaidan looked from Ashley to Shepard, wondering who was going to speak first. Garrus sat back in his chair and noticed his back hurt from leaning forward so long, but he said nothing. Tali silently tapped her hand on the table, deep in thought. Liara swished the orange juice in her glass around, watching it spin within the glass. Wrex sat on the ground, eyes closed but not asleep.

"Well, there you go," Shepard said, getting up from his seat. "Night all."

Ashley looked up at him. She wanted to talk to him; she wanted to speak to him. But the words refused to come out. Instead, Shepard merely walked back into his room and closed the door behind him. The mess hall was completely silent.

"So, that's what happened to Thorix," Wrex spoke first. "I was always curious as to what exactly happened to the Retgar 13. I had heard that a human biotic killed them all but I was always skeptical. However, it seems like it just might be true."

"Do you know why they…did that to Peter?" Kaidan asked slowly.

"Well, the heart staked to the ground is a warning," Wrex replied. "A warning to your enemies. However, the whole…legs getting ripped off, stomach cut open…that was just them…being them. I always thought they were a bit bloodthirsty, even by krogan standards."

"Go figure," Ashley said coldly.

Silence, again. Soon, they realized that there was nothing more to be said. So, one by one, they left the mess hall and returned to their beds. Liara left with a single glance at the closed door to Shepard's room.

Ashley still sat on her chair, deep in thought. She tapped her fingertips on the table, staring at Shepard's door. She noticed it wasn't locked, which meant it would open for her if she stood in front of it. Taking a deep breath, she stood up and walked to the door.

She entered Shepard's room.

The first feeling that hit her was unfamiliarity. It was the first time that she had stepped foot in Shepard's room and almost immediately, she took in the sights around her. A shelf of books was pushed to one corner, filled with titles that she didn't recognize as well as some she could vaguely remember. On top of the shelf was a pair of strange gloves that seemed to have spikes sticking out of the knuckles. Next to the shelf was a stand holding a six-stringed guitar, however, judging from the dust, it had not been touched in a while.

In the center of the room, between the bed and the door, was a desk with a lamplight on it. Strewn across the surface in no discernable order were data pads and papers with several writings on them. However, there was one thing that caught her eye. Hidden beneath the piles of papers, she thought she saw the corner of an old, worn picture, though she couldn't be sure.

Lying on his bed, Shepard had an arm draped over his eyes and one knee bent. He had taken his shirt off and was wearing only his loose fit pants. Ashley cleared her throat and Shepard glanced at her.

"You still have questions," Shepard sighed.

"Why do you hate questions so much?" Ashley asked.

"They're annoying," Shepard replied. "People are so concerned with the 'why' that they forget what they need to do."

"I think that you just don't want to talk about it, and you get frustrated when people don't leave you alone," Ashley stated.

"Is that so hard to understand?" Shepard asked. He sighed. "Well, sit down wherever." Ashley walked forward and sat down with her back against the bed.

"Do you not like people?" Ashley asked.

"What gave you that idea?" Shepard asked in return.

"When you talked about the people congratulating you, you said it with such…revulsion," Ashley noted. "Like you hated it."

"You would hate being congratulated for getting a friend of yours killed," Shepard said.

"People were going to die anyways," Ashley said. "That's different than you getting him killed."

"He followed my orders," Shepard said. "I don't see the difference."

"Peter followed your orders because it needed to be done," Ashley stated. "You can't blame yourself for that."

"Sure I can," Shepard said, almost cheerfully.

"Is that it then?" Ashley asked. "You blame yourself for his death because there was nothing you could have done?"

Shepard sighed. This wasn't going to end anytime soon. He rolled around until his head was at the foot of the bed, his feet propped up on the pillows. Shepard looked over at Ashley, who was now sitting closer than she was before he moved. For a moment, they stared into each other's eyes. Ashley saw what she thought was…sadness.

"No," Shepard sighed. "That's not what pisses me off about it at all, I guess."

"Then what?" Ashley asked.

"I don't know," Shepard shook his head. "Maybe…maybe it was because, at the end of the day, Peter died for nothing."

"He didn't die for nothing," Ashley said. "He died to save the lives on Elysium."

"Don't spout that bullshit at me," Shepard snapped. "He completed his job by calling the Navy down. He saved Elysium at that moment. He ran back to the wall because he wanted to help with the clean up. Then he died. Pointless death."

"It wasn't pointless," Ashley said. "In the end, despite how he died, he did in fact die to save the colony."

"Sure," Shepard shrugged. "He saved the colony and all its inhabitants. But what have they done to show for it? They thank all the wrong people and ignore the ones that actually did something worthwhile. Why? Because they're dead. They don't need to be remembered, despite what all the propaganda spurt out about remembering the heroes and their sacrifice. People don't remember them because they don't matter anymore. Only the ones that survive matter because we can see them. They're tangible."

"Is that what you're really afraid of?" Ashley asked. "That Peter won't be remembered?"

Shepard didn't answer. He simply stared at the ceiling. Ashley turned her body so her chin and arms were resting on the bed itself.

"Just because Peter isn't remembered by the people he saved doesn't mean he died in vain," Ashley said softly. "You remember him. You remember what he did. Shouldn't that count?"

Shepard didn't answer.

"You sound a little like Troy," Ashley said quietly, smiling despite the situation. "Always spouting about being remembered for all eternity."

"Some people deserve to be remembered," Shepard stated quietly.

"And he is remembered, John," Ashley said. "You remember him. That chessboard in the corner? I bet it reminds you of him every time you look at it. You remember who he was and what he did. That should be enough, shouldn't it?"

"It doesn't feel like enough," Shepard sighed. Ashley turned her head and pressed her ear to the comforting bed, her loose hair falling over her eyes slightly. She was tired.

"I guess not," Ashley nearly yawned.

Then Shepard did the oddest thing. He reached over and gently pushed away the strands of hair that covered her eyes. Ashley held her breath, unsure of what to do during this moment of…intimacy, was it? Ashley didn't even know that Shepard could _do_ intimate. But here he was, stroking her cheek with his surprisingly soft hands. The touch sent shivers down her spine and through her body.

"Huh," John said.

"What?" Ashley whispered.

"You have brown eyes," John said quietly. "I didn't notice that before."

Ashley's heart raced and she hoped she wasn't red in the face. Shepard slid his fingers away from her cheek, which continued to send thrills down her body. Once his fingers left her skin, Shepard sat up and looked at Ashley, who looked up at him with her brown eyes.

"You look tired, Williams," Shepard told her. "Go to sleep."

Ashley looked at him for a moment longer before forcing herself to stand up.

"'Night, Skipper," Ashley said. She walked to the door and exited the room, his chill still lingering on her body.

Shepard stared after her for a moment. Then leaned forward and shuffled through the papers. Finding what he was looking for, he picked up a worn photograph, old and almost crumpled. But the wrinkles couldn't hide the smile of a young redheaded girl as she sneaked a kiss onto a rather surprised young boy's cheek, dangerously close to his mouth. With her eyes open and the corners of her mouth curved to a smile, it seemed that the kiss was done jokingly, but Shepard's training taught him much. He could see now what he couldn't before.

The kiss was genuine. The red blush in her cheeks proved it.

The commander felt something wet on his own cheek, like the everlasting memory of that kiss. He touched his cheek and found it to be wet. A single teardrop had fallen from his eye without his knowledge. It always happened when thought about the picture. Not look at it, but actually thought about what the picture meant.

The commander placed the picture back on the table, not wanting to think about it at the moment. He merely lay back down onto his bed and tried to sleep. It was early morning, now. The commander needed sleep, but he knew deep down that it wouldn't come easily.

Memories rarely let you sleep. Commander John Shepard knew this well.

* * *

Yeah, I know we would never execute our traitors. We don't do that anymore. People got sensitive, I guess, I don't know.

I originally had Shepard shoot Troy in the head in front of all the soldiers when Troy was having his mental breakdown. But the way I built his character up, this way felt better.

Overall, I like how this story arc came together. It was very interesting writing it.

Anyhoo, author Sith Dark Lord Revan has finished Part I of his Star Wars: KOTOR magnum opus thing called the Power of Choice. It was pretty cool, you should read it if you haven't already. It's on this site somewhere.


	34. Extra: Go

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«Extra: _Location Unknown_ »

«or Go»

Jarrod fixated on Tuvok's blood-red eyes with a determined stare. Tuvok stared back with no emotion whatsoever. Between them, a holographic box with grid-like lines and hundreds of round black and white pieces attached at the intersections of these gridlines floated in the air. As Tuvok glanced at the hologram, it reminded him of the human board game they called Go. Or Igo. Or Weiqi. Or Baduk. Even on Earth, this game had different names depending on where you were, though the rules were the same. Tuvok had forgotten what the turians called it, but he enjoyed it to the best of his abilities. As he examined the board, he realized that there were hardly any differences between the turian form of playing and the human's way of playing. Sure, the humans played the game on a 19x19 board while the turians played the game on a 19x19 box with six sides. But other than that, no real difference.

Tuvok watched Jarrod place a black, circular stone-like piece on the field, next to a large group of similarly shaped black pieces. Tuvok's hand entered the holographic space, allowing him to turn the box around to the different sides. The ultimate goal of the game was to cover more than half of box with your pieces, which meant more than three sides. Tuvok had covered two sides so far while Jarrod was nearly completing his third. The red-eyed turian didn't mind at all, though. It was refreshing to just…relax.

"Looks like you're losing, turian," Jarrod said smugly.

"So it would seem," Tuvok replied nonchalantly as he placed a white piece on one of the sides.

Jarrod scoffed and looked away at the walls of the vessel they were in. Completely metal interiors filled with tubes that seemed to…breathe with a steady beat. There was a constant electronic beeping sound that echoed throughout the halls of the vessel, each ping seemingly louder than the last.

"Kind of an uncomfortable place to live in, isn't it?" Jarrod asked as he placed a white piece.

"Sure," Tuvok lied. He felt nothing.

"Almost seems…" Jarrod shrugged.

"Alive?" Tuvok asked.

Jarrod shrugged again.

There was a loud, blood-filled moan from the room next door. Tuvok and Jarrod ignored it.

"So, do you know where we're off to next?" Jarrod asked.

"We are going to the Attican Beta cluster," Tuvok answered. "To planet Feros in the Theseus System."

"Why do these humans keep coming up with these weird names?" Jarrod asked, scratching his head. Looking at the box, he placed a black piece on it.

"Theseus was a hero during Earth's history that was said to have defeated a creature with the head of a bull and the body of a man," Tuvok replied, placing a white piece on the box. "The Minotaur, they called it. Looked kind of like a krogan, if you ask me."

"No one did, turian," Jarrod shot back.

There was a loud revving sound as if someone was charging something up, then a deafening buzzing sound as it cut into flesh. The blood-filled moan became a scream as whatever it was tore right into the victim's body. Tuvok and Jarrod ignored it.

"Whatever, any reason we're heading there?" Jarrod asked.

"Thanks to Major Ellison's information on ExoGeni Corporation, we now know that there is…something of interest on the former Prothean planet," Tuvok replied.

"A Prothean beacon?" Jarrod asked, placing a piece on the box.

"No," Tuvok stated. "Something older than the Protheans. Possibly, at least."

"Older?" Jarrod scoffed. "That is interesting."

"Major Ellison's information was _very_ accurate," Tuvok noted, placing another piece on the box. "That is Saren ordered Scar to send a full regiment of his geth to the planet and secure a location."

Soon, the screaming stopped and all that was left was the breathing of the walls around them and the sound of something dripping.

"You know, for someone who claims to hate humans as much as he does," Jarrod noted. "Saren likes to deal with that little whelp."

"Despite the fact he did not have the foresight to not be born human," Tuvok replied as Jarrod placed a piece on the box. "Major Ellison has served us well by providing us with information we need. Shepard's location, information on the several human owned corporations, as well as the movements of the Alliance Navy and Military. He has been most helpful. Plus, Saren has nothing to lose with this relationship."

"Ellison didn't ask for anything in return?" Jarrod asked, skeptically. "Not a very good negotiator, is he?"

"He is the kind of man who wants to fly up to the heavens and look down upon us all as a god," Tuvok replied. "He wants to be known throughout the galaxy, his name remembered by all. He figures if he joins Saren, he will have his chance."

"Idiot," Jarrod chuckled as Tuvok placed a piece on the box.

"Like I said. Nothing to lose," Tuvok replied.

There were loud footsteps as Scar, the massive white Geth Prime, ducked under the doorway leading to the lab with the agile movements that looked exactly like a Geth Hopper. Red and orange blood covered his claw-like hands and covered part of his blue lamp-like head. Without another glance towards the two, Scar lumbered down the hall, his footsteps resounding across the walls.

"What exactly is that geth's deal?" Jarrod asked.

"Not really sure," Tuvok answered. "Saren and Benezia found him before they recruited me. Though I do know that his neural network is…different."

"Different how?" Jarrod asked, placing yet another piece on the box.

"You know how the geth become more intelligent the closer they are to each other?" Tuvok asked.

"Yeah," Jarrod grumbled. "They share off each other's processing power, allowing them all to reason and analyze a situation."

"Well, this 'sharing' is involuntary," Tuvok explained. "It happens automatically."

"Okay," Jarrod nodded.

"Scar, on the other hand…" Tuvok shrugged as he placed another piece on the box. "His brain is completely separated from the geth neural network."

The sound of mechanical breathing entered the silence between them.

"What do you mean?" Jarrod asked quietly.

"It means that his mind cannot be shared with other geth," Tuvok said as he placed a piece on the box. "It means that Scar is completely different from the other geth he commands. Where the geth are collective, Scar is an individual. He does not use the other geths processing power to think, just his own. While it may seem like a disadvantage, Scar has worked on his own body. Increasing his fighting abilities, as well as his mind."

Scar came lumbering back, dragging along the moaning body of a human they had found. Scar hunched through the doorway and disappeared into the lab. Soon the screaming and the moaning would begin again. Tuvok and Jarrod ignored it.

"Why do you call it a 'he?'" Jarrod asked, placing a piece on the box.

"I don't really know," Tuvok answered. "I guess he thinks himself as one."

"How do you figure?" Jarrod asked.

"The way he carries himself is like a man," Tuvok answered simply. "Or at least, I get that feeling from him."

"You and your feelings," Jarrod said sarcastically. "They just run you, don't they?"

The loud machinery cried out from within the lab. Jarrod leaned back and peeked inside, spotting the good Dr. Saleon. Unsurprisingly, he was covered from head to foot in blood, both orange and red. He had cut the arteries in the human's wrists and was bleeding him dry. The machinery was always strapped into the human, keeping his heart beating. Slowly, Saleon began filling the human's body with the orange blood.

"What," Jarrod hesitated. "Are you doing?"

"Seeing if a human body can process krogan blood," Dr. Saleon mumbled simply, engrossed in his work.

"Why?" Jarrod asked.

Dr. Saleon slowly turned to look at Jarrod, staring into his eyes. Soon, the human began seizing, shaking uncontrollably with his blood splattering across the walls, the salarian and the geth in the room. Scar stared without emotion as the human coughed up nearly a gallon of orange blood and died.

"Why not?" Dr. Saleon asked in reply.

Jarrod leaned back to his game. Tuvok had already placed a piece on the box.

"I'm not gonna lie, turian," Jarrod said roughly. "That salarian creeps me out."

"Not a very social one, is he?" Tuvok noted.

"Is he here because of his expertise in the research on Virmire?" Jarrod asked.

"That's part of it," Tuvok answered. "He's also helping in something else."

"What _is_ going on on Virmire?" Jarrod asked.

"It's a little side-project of Saren's that is…_personal_ to him," Tuvok answered.

"Does it have to do with Benezia?" Jarrod asked.

"So you noticed," Tuvok noted.

"Her sudden change in personality?" Jarrod scoffed. "Of course. One minute, she's worried about her little bitch of a daughter. The next, she doesn't care about her in the slightest. She's definitely changed."

"We'll be arriving at Feros in five minutes," came a voice on the intercom. It was Benezia's, now completely devoid of life.

Tuvok shut off the box game and stood up, his black trench coat swaying slightly.

"We'll finish this game some other time," Tuvok said without emotion. "I do enjoy these times together."

"Yeah right, _turian_," Jarrod spat.

* * *

Just a little diddy from the bad guy's perspective…doing…stuff. And just talking with each other. Don't really know why I wrote this. Just felt like it I guess.

I have nothing more to say to you.


	35. Chapter 26: Tension in the Knot

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«4.01: The Citadel: C-Sec Academy: Dock 422»

«or Tension in the Knot»

Shepard whistled a random tune to himself as he leaned against the railings. Behind him, the Normandy sat quietly while it was being refueled and refitted. In front of him, Ashley slowly paced nervously around the catwalk. She wore the standard Alliance uniform with the boots, long pants and t-shirt. Shepard also wore the same except his shirt wasn't tucked into his pants and belt, blowing lazily in the wind.

"Relax, Williams," Shepard told her.

"I am relaxed!" Ashley exclaimed. "Our ship is just being inspected by a Rear Admiral of the 63rd Scout Flotilla who _clearly_ doesn't like us at all!"

"There's nothing to it, really," Shepard reminded her. "He's just going to bitch and moan about the loss of a great ship, complain of some things wrong with it then leave."

"How can you be so relaxed about this?" Ashley asked. "He's obviously going to write a _scathing_ review of the ship and it's just _all_ downhill from there!"

"No he's not," Shepard told her. "Despite being an Alliance ship, the Normandy is on loan to the Citadel, specifically to the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch. He can look around but it can't be considered a formal inspection. Besides, why do you care so much about what review he's going to give us?"

"I don't," Ashley lied. Shepard sighed. It was obvious that Ashley was upset about something. She had been rather uptight since the morning they arrived, though Shepard couldn't figure out why. But, he left it alone. It wasn't any of his business, really.

The sound of a door sliding open warned Shepard of the Rear Admiral's approach. Shepard stood up and faced the man, who stood nearly a head shorter than Shepard.

"Commander, I'm not happy," Rear Admiral Mikhailovich said.

"Of course you're not," Shepard muttered contemptuously.

Shepard was right; something was bothering Ashley. That morning, she had received a message from the last person she wanted to see: Samesh Bhatia, the husband of Nirali Bhatia.

_Chief Williams,_

_I know you were with my wife, Nirali, when she died and I am grateful for that. She thought very highly of you whenever she mentioned you in her letters. It gladdens my heart to know that she had a friend, even at the end._

_However, a problem has occurred with the release of her body. I feel it is not something that can be discussed in this message, however, so I hope it will be all right if you could find the time to meet. I will be outside the human embassy on the Presidium for most of the day._

_If at all possible, could you also bring the Commander Shepard with you, for I feel that he may be able to help as well?_

_With many thanks,_

_Samesh Bhatia_

Ashley had replayed that message several times to herself afterwards, each time creating a tighter knot in her chest. In all honesty, she did not want to meet with him. For Nirali's sake as well as for hers. It was too painful. But who was she to deny his request? He had said he needed her help and she felt obliged to give it. But…she was worried that she wouldn't be able to handle it. Could she still honor Nirali's last wish while aiding her husband? She wasn't so sure.

A deep venom of disgust rose within her. In the end, she couldn't do anything. She had promised Nirali and she wasn't one to break promises. But her husband had a right to know, didn't he? To know what happened to her before she died. The crime that was committed. But she had promised…

This paradox continued to plague her thoughts. On the one hand, she instincts as a soldier told her to tell people what happened so that the criminal could be brought to justice. But her instincts as a friend told her not to; they told her to honor her promise to Nirali. She simply didn't know which one to choose.

Ashley looked up at Shepard as he argued with the Rear Admiral. She still couldn't believe that he had the tenacity as well as the will to do that to a superior officer. She envied him. Shepard was the kind of man who could do what he felt was right, regardless of what others thought. If _he_ had the problem she had, she didn't doubt that he would act in a heartbeat.

Did that make her weak? The fact she was hesitating seemed to imply that very thing. Why couldn't she be like Shepard, acting first and asking questions later or not at all? Why did she always have to hesitate? She was a Williams. She couldn't allow herself to hesitate under any circumstances. Her family had so much to make up for. Yet, still, she didn't know what to do.

So, should she ask Shepard for help? Surely he would know what to do. But what would that say about her? That she had to rely on other people for help? No, she wouldn't ask him for help. She _couldn't_ ask him for help. She needed to see if she could do this on her own, without help from anyone. Besides, Shepard had bigger things to worry about.

"Well, _I'm_ not convinced that the Normandy isn't a waste of taxpayer's money," Mikhailovich was saying. "But I am convinced that you believe otherwise and that you'll use it to your best ability. I'll be submitting a report to the Joint Military Council. It will not be as…negative, as I had planned."

"Write whatever comes to mind, sir," Shepard saluted sharply. Mikhailovich returned the salute.

"Good hunting, Commander. Make us proud," the Rear Admiral told him. With a salute from Ashley, he walked to the elevator and descended.

"Well, that was a waste of time," Shepard muttered when he left.

"What, and you think talking with the Ambassador isn't?" Ashley asked him.

"Oh, I think _both_ are a tremendous waste of time," Shepard said, smiling.

"Of course," Ashley smiled. "So, what do you think the good old ambassador wants with us?"

"What he wants with _me_, you mean," Shepard reminded her. "You just wanted to tag along."

"Well, I was heading in the same direction anyways," Ashley replied. "So what do you think he wants?"

"If I know the Ambassador, and I do." Shepard mockingly placed a hand to his chin, pretending to be a scholar of some sort. "I'm going to walk in, get my face chewed out for something that was either a) not my fault, b) couldn't be avoided, or c) just because."

"Just because what?" Ashley asked, chuckling.

"Because I have more hair than he does," Shepard said simply.

They both laughed at that. Shepard was glad to see Ashley smiling again. It looked…right.

"C'mon." Shepard motioned her towards the elevator. "Let's not waste anymore time."

"By the way, do you know where the others went?" Ashley asked as she got on the elevator.

"Kaidan wanted to get a better amplifier; his biotics aren't at the level he wants them to be," Shepard replied. "Wrex decided to tag along because…well, frankly because he's bored as hell. The lovebirds, Garrus and Tali, are going to buy new equipment since all there's are fried."

Ashley and Shepard didn't need to say why.

"And Liara?" Ashley asked, though in all honesty, she couldn't care less what the asari did. Shepard thought for a moment.

"She said she was going to study some of the Prothean data discs we found in the Artemis Tau cluster," Shepard replied. "But, frankly, I think she just doesn't want to leave her room."

"Why? You think she's shy?" Ashley joked.

"No," Shepard said simply. "I think she's scared."

\::/::\::/::\::/

Liara scanned the ancient discs on the table, a beam of light tracing them and placing their images on the nearby computer screen. On another screen, the data and information garnered popped onto the screen. She smiled, excited by what she could possibly discover. This was always the best part. Learning and discovering things about the Protheans that no one had before. It was hard to _not_ get excited!

Her excitement died, however, when she realized that it was all encrypted. In the Prothean language. Of course it was. How could she be so stupid? The Protheans had encrypted everything in the last years before they vanished, supposedly to hide the information from the Reapers.

Liara still didn't fully believe in the Reapers. It just seemed so fantastic to be real. However, she couldn't deny that it answered a lot of the questions she had about their disappearance. But it also raised several new questions. Why did the Reapers wipe them out? Why leave the Citadel intact, if it was the heart of Prothean space? And why come back now?

Liara yawned to herself. She had not slept in…what day was it anyways? She couldn't keep track of time anymore. It was definitely a day or so after Shepard's story, though she couldn't be sure.

She thought back to that night. She didn't really know what to say about it. It was obvious that telling the story was difficult for Shepard. She didn't know human emotions well, but she could tell that much. Liara felt sorry for the commander and she was sympathetic for his loss. But she also saw why Dr. Chakwas and Ashley were so interested in him. She couldn't deny that the mystery was intriguing and she knew they were both trying to help. Liara thought, however, that they shouldn't rush a man like Shepard. A man could only be pushed so far before he starts pushing back. Or breaks completely.

Liara smiled as she remembered that night. The conversation they had before the story. If it wasn't for him, she wouldn't have discovered the Lucky Charms! She also wouldn't have been able to see the side of Shepard that he kept hidden. The side of him that cares and is sympathetic to the people around him. Liara found herself admiring that side greatly. She knew that it was a side of him that she might never see for a while. But it was that mystery that was so intriguing. Sure, Chakwas or Ashley could try to figure out his cold, distant side. But, to Liara, it didn't matter because she liked the warmer side of him. It was the side that (she felt) was his true self. And he had shown it to her, personally.

Liara licked her lips. She suddenly found herself very thirsty.

The asari walked over to the Mess Hall and to the electronic board. Deciding she wanted some orange juice, she waited patiently as the drink was brought up to her. And then she realized there were other people around her.

A woman was sitting at the table, reading one of her books. A man was also sitting across from her, eating his lunch. Two marines were standing in a nearby corner, conversing with themselves. All of four of them were being as quiet as they could. Because she was there, Liara assumed.

Were they staring at her? Probably. She was an alien after all. How many were staring at her? All of them obviously. Why couldn't they just leave her alone? Leave her in peace? They should start talking to themselves again and leave her be. Stop looking at her. Please don't look at her with your hateful eyes. Please.

"Hey," one of the marines whispered. "It's the asari."

"Nice," his friend said approvingly.

Liara tried not to stiffen.

"Would you hit that?" one asked the other.

"She's got a nice ass, I'll give her that," his friend replied. "Can't the asari sleep with anyone regardless of race?"

"Yeah, crazy, huh?" the other laughed. "Got to imagine what the sex is like, huh."

"Don't count on it, though," his friend warned. "You remember the asari that works for Saren?"

The orange juice arrived, but Liara couldn't move.

"Yeah, I remember," the other said.

"Well, you, my friend, are looking at her daughter," his friend stated bluntly.

Liara's fingertips touched the sides of the glass slowly and gently.

"Really?" the other's voice was suddenly very cautious. "You sure?"

"Overheard it from the Gunnery Chief herself," his friend whispered.

"Can we trust her?" asked the other.

Liara hand tightened around the glass. She held her breath.

"I wouldn't," his friend replied.

Liara couldn't listen anymore. Slowly and with as much dignity as she had left within her, she turned and walked back into the Med Clinic. She ignored their hateful stares for as long as she could. Ignored Dr. Chakwas' questions for her and entered the lab. Her sanctuary.

With trembling hands, she raised the glass to her lips and drank. The cool juice flowed down her throat and satiated her, taking away the thirst. However, it did not take away her heated cheeks and face. It did not take away the embarrassment that she felt. It did not take away the words she heard, hurtful and agonizing. It did not take away the feelings of uselessness. It did not take away her powerlessness.

It did not take away the fear.

Alone within her sanctuary, Liara T'Soni knelt in the corner, hugging her knees to her chest, all the while trying to hold back her tears.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Shepard was not in a good mood anymore. Quite the opposite, in fact. He was in a foul mood.

"How was the interview?" Ashley dared to ask him, forcing a smile.

"That woman…was simply…infuriating." Shepard's eye twitched.

"I could tell," said Ashley. "You looked like you wanted punch her. Or stab her."

"I was close." Shepard held up his thumb and forefinger, show just how close he was. "Oh, so very close."

"What did she ask you, anyways?" asked Ashley.

"First of all, she had an agenda," said Shepard. "She was trying to prove that I was a…what was the term…a 'shill' for the Council. Saying I was putting the needs of the Council over the needs of humanity. Xenophobic bullshit, if you ask me."

"Did you tell her that?" asked Ashley.

"Almost," replied Shepard. "But I would've been chewed out by everybody on this station, making my mood even worse than before. I said no to that."

"So how're you doing?" asked Ashley.

"Like a bomb about to explode." Shepard rubbed his temples. "I swear, if one more annoying little shit comes up to me wanting to talk to me…I…I just can't be held responsible for what I'm going to do!"

"Hi!" exclaimed the unluckiest man in the world. "My names Conrad Verner!"

Much later, just as Shepard predicted, he was chewed out.

"_**You knocked out a civilian!"**_ screamed Udina. Anderson shook his head as he tried to finish reading the book Goyle had given him.

"It's all a blur really-" Shepard tried to reason as he sat in the ambassador's office, to no avail.

"This is serious, Shepard!" shouted the quivering ambassador. "I've got all sorts of people breathing down my neck! Executer Pallin of C-Sec was actually trying to find a reason to lock you away!"

Shepard shook his head and took a puff from his cigarette.

"_**Are you listening to me, Shepard!"**_ screamed Udina.

"No," replied Shepard in a simple tone. "Now are you going to get to the actual business of the matter or are you going to bitch at me for a few minutes? 'Cause I don't really have anything else to do today, so whatever floats your boat is fine with me."

"Are you trying to give me a aneurysm?" Udina sighed.

"Look, I just had a Rear Admiral inspect my ship, some bitch try to make me admit I'm a little puppet tied around the Council's finger, and had some fanboy try to take my picture." Shepard leaned forward. "I'm not really in the mood to be chewed out by you. So why don't we just cut to the chase, talk about what you wanted to talk about, I'll leave, everyone's happy."

Udina shook his head and looked over at Anderson. Anderson shrugged and motioned him to move on. Udina shook his head again and sat down wearily in his chair. He paused for a second.

"What happened on Therum?" Udina asked. "In the ruins?"

Shepard frowned. He knew what he was talking about.

"You read my report," Shepard reminded him.

"The report was unclear," Udina said. "I need to hear it from your mouth."

Shepard sighed and leaned back, crossing his arms.

"It's as it sounds," Shepard said sullenly. "I was knocked out and something completely bat-shit bonkers came out of my head. I don't really remember much, anyways. I woke up, the cave was falling apart around me. I ran out then my body decided to give out."

Udina nodded absent-mindedly while Anderson watched the exchange, placing a bookmark between the pages.

"The Council read your report as well," said Udina. "They're a bit…concerned with this biotic ability of yours. Their asari scientists don't really know what to make of it. They've never heard of someone's biotic powers surfacing so late in their lives. And at such a violent time. Some of them think that it may have had something to do with your encounter with the beacon. Some think it may have to do with red sand, that your parents were sandblasters when you were still in the womb. Suffice it to say, there are plenty of theories as to why that is."

"Wonderful," groaned Shepard as he rolled his eyes.

"The Council wants your brain and body to be scanned by a medical professional," Udina added quickly.

Anderson closed his book silently and placed it aside, bracing himself for Shepard's response. Shepard blinked several times silently, staring at Udina with an expression that was a mix between surprise and fury. Taking another angry puff from his cigarette, Shepard flicked it at Udina, making it land on his desk.

"Fuck. You," Shepard said deeply and slowly.

"It'll only take a few hours," Udina told him, disposing of the burning cigarette. "Your appointment is in an hour or so."

"**I'm not getting my fucking brain scanned like some fucking lab rat!"** Shepard shouted.

"I'm afraid you have no say in the matter," Udina said. "It's an order straight from the Council. And as a Spectre, you have to answer it."

"_**God fucking dammit!**_" Shepard stood up angrily. He paced the room, breathing in hard, rapid breathes. Anderson watched him vent out his frustration. Shepard stared out the window for a moment. "Do they think I'm crazy?"

"No," Udina replied. "At least, I'm pretty sure they don't. They just want to see what's there."

"Didn't Chakwas send her scans?" Shepard shook his head.

"They prefer it was someone who wasn't that attached to you," Udina said. "Don't worry. It won't be publicized. They want you to go to the Med Clinic down in the Wards. The one Dr. Michel works at? It'll be simple. You go in, do whatever they tell you, then your out in no time."

Shepard sighed and rubbed his temples.

"I'm got gonna like this at all, am I?" Shepard stated.

"_You_ won't like it," Udina said, smiling as he stood up grabbed a few datapads. "_I'll_ enjoy every minute of it while I'm out to lunch with a few executives."

"Oh, you're just hilarious," Shepard groaned.

Soon, the ambassador was out of his office, leaving Shepard and Anderson to themselves. Shepard lay back in a chair while Anderson studied him.

"Why don't you want to get your head scanned?" Anderson asked.

"I'm not some fucking lab rat, captain," Shepard said simply. "I don't like being put on display and studied."

"True, I guess your dignity could be hurt," Anderson nodded. "But it really won't be that bad."

Shepard groaned. They listened to the sound of the nearby lake and fountain for a moment.

"Dr. Chakwas told me about your little meeting with Elanos Haliat," Anderson stated.

"That woman can't keep her mouth shut for one second can she?" Shepard snapped. He sighed. "What about it?"

"You finally killed him, then," Anderson said. "Do you feel satisfied? You spent most of your life trying to find him and kill him for Mindoir and Elysium, among other things."

Shepard thought for a moment.

"It wasn't about revenge," John said quietly. "When I killed him, it didn't feel like revenge. I've killed people before in vengeance. Torfan was a prime example of that. But…this time was different."

Anderson waited for him to continue.

"On Torfan, I met a batarian," John continued. "He reminded me of the better side of Elanos. He helped me remember that that man, though a bastard and a murderer, was still important to me. Sure, I had to kill him, to avenge the deaths of those he killed. But…I guess, really, I was just fulfilling his last wish. To die at the hands of someone he cared about. And to die honorably."

"What did the batarian remind you of?" Anderson asked.

"That Elanos Haliat was…a father to me," John admitted. "I remember on Mindoir, before the raid, when he would beat the living shit out of me for disobeying an order or something. Or during our sparring sessions. But afterwards, he would take me out to get ice cream. He would listen when I talked about Talitha, this girl I had a crush on. We would laugh. We had fun."

"You loved him," Anderson stated.

"I guess I did," John agreed. "I loved him enough to kill him when he wanted me to."

"He loved you too," Anderson replied. "He let you kill him."

"True." John nodded. "How twisted is that? It's usually the other way around. If I loved him enough, I would never raise my hand against him."

"I think love is about trust," Anderson stated. "And trust works both ways. You trust him and he trusts you. He trusted you to kill him if he wanted you to do it. And you trusted him to do the same. It's a little twisted I guess, but that's only because it's not a normal relationship.

"Do you really think I'm a normal guy?" Shepard joked.

They chuckled to themselves for a moment. The fountain outside babbled and splashed into the lake as the time went by peacefully.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Ashley entered the embassy bar and looked around. There were all kinds of people sitting around. It wasn't as lively as Chora's Den, being a respectable place, but it was pretty full of people. An asari was sitting in the corner, reading something on her laptop. A turian was having a drink near the back and a group of marines were talking around a table. But Ashley ignored them for the moment and gazed around the room, trying to find the man who had asked for her. Though she was hesitant.

"Chief Williams!" came a thickly accented voice in the corner. Ashley found him and made her way towards the husband of Nirali Bhatia.

Samesh was not a very tall man, but the way he carried himself spoke of the amount of pride he held. Ashley found herself almost intimidated by the man

"Williams. It is a pleasure," Samesh shook her hand.

"The pleasure's mine, Mr. Bhatia," Ashley responded.

"Please have a seat," Samesh gestured to the chairs and took his own. "It is regretful that we could not meet under a more…pleasant time."

"I am so sorry for your loss, Mr. Bhatia," Ashley sympathized. "Nirali was a good woman."

"I know, Ms. Williams," Samesh replied, sorrow thick in his voice. "She spoke of you with great respect. That is why I turned to you."

"What can I do?" Ashley asked. "You mentioned a problem with the release of her body?

"Yes," Samesh began. "As you know, the religion we both practiced dictates that she be buried as soon as possible, her body washed in water three times, once in pure water, again in water scented with _kafoor_, and then again in water infused in _sedr_ then…well, I won't bore you with the details. In short, it is a rather long process and must be done immediately."

"Of course," Ashley nodded.

"The problem is the Alliance," Samesh continued. "When I asked them to release her body, they refused!"

"What?" Ashley exclaimed. "Why?"

"I don't know," Samesh said exasperatedly. "All I know is that they have made it impossible for my wife's body to be returned!"

"They have to respect your wife's religious beliefs," Ashley noted. "Why would they do that? They must have some reason."

"That's why I asked for your help," Samesh leaned forward expectantly. "I wish to have a member of the Alliance look into it as soon as possible. My wife must be buried as soon as possible! It was her wish! And I know that you have connections with the human Spectre, Shepard. If you talked with him, I'm sure he could help."

Ashley thought for a moment. It's true, Shepard's status as a Spectre could be used to release Nirali's body. Since he was a Spectre, the Alliance would have no choice but to follow his orders. However…what would that say of her? That she was weak? Too weak to help someone in need? Did having to rely on someone else make her weak? It seemed so.

"I'm sorry but the commander is busy with other things right now," Ashley told him.

"I see," Samesh said, eyes downcast.

"We'll think of something, Mr. Bhatia," Ashley reassured him. "Who's the man in charge of her case?"

"Mr. Clerk Bosker," Samesh responded. "But I've already talked to him. That's where I got all the information."

"We need to find out why she won't be released," Ashley said.

"Do you want to know?" came a voice from behind. Ashley froze as her eyes widened. Her heart began to pound through her chest. Anger welled up within her, nearly spilling forth uncontrolled. Her breathing became much more controlled as fury almost ran unchecked. Ashley stood up and turned to face the man.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Bhatia," Major Harlan Ellison said pleasantly, a warm smile on his face. "Chief Williams."

"Sir," Ashley forced as she disgustedly saluted.

"I'm sorry, but do you know something about my wife?" Samesh stood up.

"Quite a bit actually," Ellison replied, a knowing smile directed at Ashley. Ashley didn't move. "I am Major Harlan Ellison, Mr. Bhatia. I thought it best I come here and explain your wife's current situation to you personally."

"What? What is it?" Samesh asked.

"Please, let's have a seat," Ellison said. He never returned the salute given by Ashley, so Ashley dropped her hand. She warily took a seat.

"Mr. Bhatia, I am so sorry for the loss of your wife," Ellison began. "Know that the Alliance has lost a valuable part of the military that day. She will be missed by all."

"Thank you," Samesh said.

Ashley said nothing.

"Mr. Bhatia, the reason your wife is being held is because her body is very valuable to the Alliance," Ellison continued. "She may save more lives than she ever could when she was alive."

"What," Samesh said slowly. "Do you mean?"

Ashley said nothing.

"Mr. Bhatia," Ellison said slowly. "The wounds on your wife's body are inconsistent with any other kind of geth weaponry we have on record. Now, it is obvious that the geth have evolved in terms of weapons and armor, but we don't know to what extent. With respect, your wife's body is being studied so that we may come up with and develop better weapon systems and defenses to combat the geth."

Ellison waited patiently as Samesh soaked that new information in. Ashley stared at Ellison and then watched as Samesh's face went through a variety of emotions, none of them good.

"_What?_" Samesh breathed, disgust thick in his voice. "_**Tests?**_ You are holding my wife to run _**tests!**_"

"I understand your frustration, sir," Ellison told him. "The Alliance is well aware of your wife's religious beliefs and practices. And the Alliance supports all religions and beliefs. However, your wife's body is too valuable to ignore."

"_**Valuable!**_" Samesh exclaimed, drawing the attention of many around him. "That is my _wife_ you're talking about!"

"I understand that," Ellison replied. "But think for a moment, Mr. Bhatia. With the information that could come with the research, we can provide protection and defenses for the many colonies and civilians out in the galaxies. Like I said before, your wife may save more lives in death than she ever could when she was alive."

Samesh's face was growing redder by the second, so Ashley jumped in.

"Sir, how long will this research take?" she asked.

"Somewhat over a year," Ellison said simply.

"_**A year!**_" exclaimed Samesh. "My wife _must_ be buried as soon as possible! Are you completely ignoring my wife's final wish and testament?"

"I deeply apologize, Mr. Bhatia," Ellison said again. Ashley didn't think he really meant it. "But my superiors have deemed your wife's body invaluable to the defense and safety of the Systems Alliance."

"Don't I have rights? Doesn't my _wife_ have rights!" Samesh shot up and slammed his hands on the table. "My wife was a devoted member of the Alliance military! She fought and died to save the colony of Eden Prime! _**And now you just toss her onto a table like she's just some piece of meat!**_"

"Sir," Ashley said, facing Ellison, eyes full of controlled fury. "This is hardly ethical. Mr. Bhatia does hold the rights to-"

"We're soldiers, Williams," Ellison interrupted her in a very amused tone. "Not philosophers. And I don't remember giving you permission to speak, _Gunnery Chief_."

Ashley took a deep breath.

"Yes, it's true," Ellison said. "Mr. Bhatia, as Mrs. Bhatia's husband, holds the right to his wife's body. However, when the late Nirali Bhatia signed the a contract stating that she would work for the Alliance, she signed her life over to the military, allowing us free-reign to do with it what we wish."

Silence.

"_**WHAT?"**_ Samesh shouted.

"Sir, that's not what it means!" Ashley objected.

"Regardless, those are the rules," Ellison said calmly, ignoring the outraged duo in front of him. "I'm afraid there is nothing you can do, Mr. Bhatia. Rest assured that your wife's body will treated with the utmost respect. The body will be delivered to you when our research is finalized. I am truly sorry."

Ashley stared, helpless to do a thing, for what could she do? This was from a higher-ranking official. She could do nothing. Ashley looked at Samesh's face turn from anger to horror. It was a tragic sight that she could hardly bear to watch. But what really tore her apart was what happened next.

Mr. Bhatia looked at her, pleading for her help. And she could not give it. She was powerless. Weak.

"I'm sorry, Samesh," Ashley whispered, averting her eyes.

She heard Samesh sputter something, then storm out of the bar, leaving her alone. She failed. She was weak.

"Well, that went better than expected," Ellison joked, grinning. Ashley eyes widened in fury as she rounded on the major.

"You enjoyed that," Ashley accused, her tone dark.

"I did," Ellison laughed. "It was fun watching him squirm about. It was _much_ more fun watching _you_ squirm!"

"You bastard," Ashley gritted her teeth. "Haven't you done enough to their lives?"

"Actually this is the first time I met Mr. Bhatia," Ellison scratched his head. "Pitiful man, really. Gave up so easily. But, I did wish to give my heartfelt condolences to Nirali Bhatia. She was a good woman in, oh, _so_ many ways."

"You have no right to speak her name!" Ashley exclaimed. "You don't even _think_ of her!"

"Well, I did fulfill my goal," Ellison said. "In end, when she died, she was probably thinking of me."

"No she wasn't," Ashley protested, venom dripping from her tongue. "She was thinking of her family. She was thinking of the ones she loved. Not of the man who violated her!"

"What makes you think it _wasn't_ consensual?" Ellison grinned.

Ashley snapped. Her fist tightened as she prepared to beat the-

A hand grabbed her wrist and she was turned away from Ellison.

"Hey! Major Ellison! Long time no see, my friend!" Shepard exclaimed cheerfully.

"Shepard! Well I'll be damned!" Ellison exclaimed back. "Didn't think I'd see you here! Don't you have a universe to save, _Spectre_?"

"Don't you have a job to do?" Shepard joked back.

Ashley stared angrily. Shepard's grip was tight and didn't let her go.

"Actually, I was," Ellison replied. "Until I met Ms. Williams here."

"Oh, so you're acquainted?" Shepard asked.

"Yes, I was actually her drill instructor back at boot camp," Ellison said.

"No kidding?" Shepard spared a glance at Ashley for a moment. "So was I."

"_You_ were one of my best, Shepard," Ellison said. "A tendency to go gold-bricking but you got the job done." Shepard laughed at the thought.

"Well, I have a job to do right now actually," Shepard said. "It should be done soon, though. We should catch up!"

"We should!" Ellison nodded, grinning.

"Well, I'll see you later, Major," Shepard said, turning and dragging Ashley along with him.

"Later, Spectre!" Ellison called after him.

Outside the bar, Ashley allowed herself to be dragged along. Shepard shoved Ashley against the wall, slamming his hand by her head with a loud bang.

"Now you wanna tell me what the hell that was?" Shepard asked. "And why you wanted to kill my former drill instructor? And yours for that matter?"

"What gave me away?" Ashley asked.

"Please. I could see the tension in your body a mile away. Don't change the subject," Shepard warned.

"It has nothing to do with you," Ashley told him, staring him in the eye. "Its something I need to do by myself."

"I can respect that," Shepard said. "But if you want to kill someone, you probably choose a better spot. Now why do you want to kill him?"

"It wouldn't matter even if I told you," Ashley told him, disgust evident in his voice. "You two are such good friends and all."

"Are you kidding?" Shepard said quizzically. "I hate that guy. He's annoying as hell! Those are all just pleasantries. But that's not the point. Tell me why you want to kill him."

Ashley angrily slapped away his hand and stepped forward.

"_**I said it doesn't concern you!"**_ Ashley shouted. _**"I can handle it on my own!"**_

Shepard stared into her hazel eyes while she stared into his blue. Shepard then turned and walked away.

"Fine then. Do what you want," Shepard said over his shoulder.

Ashley watched him walk down the hall and disappear behind a door. She looked down at the floor, staring at nothing.

_You mustn't tell my husband!_

"Dammit," Ashley muttered.

Shepard made his way to the elevator that headed down to the Wards and leaned against the wall. He watched the door attempt to close all the way before a hand opened it back up again. Ashley walked into elevator and stared at the door. Silently, the door closed again and they began their descent.

"I don't need your help," Ashley told him.

"Sometimes people do," Shepard replied.

"Right now I don't," Ashley said.

"I'm here when you need it," Shepard said.

"I don't need you right now," Ashley replied. "I need to see if I can do this on my own."

"Fair enough," Shepard said.

"Besides you don't really want to help me," Ashley said.

"What makes you say that?" Shepard asked.

"On Elysium, the only reason you helped the colony was because you were forced to," Ashley told him, anger in her voice. "You didn't really care about those people. You hated them. Despised how they didn't care about the death of your friends. You don't really care about us, the members of your team. You just find us interesting. Nothing more. We're nothing to you. So, I won't force you to help me. I won't put you through that again. I don't need help from you."

Shepard narrowed his eyes as he considered her words. Ashley continued to stare at the elevator doors.

After that, not a word was spoken.

* * *

This was mainly an introduction to Ashley's side-story and the beginning of her little personal battle. As well as setting up a plot thread that will (hopefully) be tied up in the coming chapters.

One of the _thousands_ upon _thousands_ of problems I have (besides an almost unhealthy obsession with Harley Quinn) is that I don't like it when other people form opinions about me without getting to know me. Whenever I'm out in public or at school, I tend to keep to myself, even when I see my friends. When people look at me, I instantly think they're sizing me up or thinking some derogatory thing about me. I know they're probably not but I can't help but assume the worst. I tried to convey that feeling through Liara here. I'm not sure if I'm afraid of people I don't know and that's why I do that, but what I do know is that I can't stay afraid all the time. So, don't worry. Liara won't be afraid for long.

Being of mixed ethnicity, I am no stranger to stereotypes. I don't mind them, really. I've heard them all. And even thought I believe it is very difficult to _not_ be racist, I am also no stranger to racist remarks, whether they are made in fun or not. I'm fine with it, really. I just kindly inform them of how stupid they sound and continue on my merry way. However, I have come across several arrogant people that I just didn't waste my time on, because they were so full of themselves that they would never change their opinion regardless of what I said. So in making the conversation between the two marines (which I hope you_ all_ found to be very awful), I just thought of every arrogant prick I've ever known and let loose.

So apparently Pinnacle Station came out when no one was looking…

Moved in to my new apartment off the university campus. It's _so_ much better than my own house. The night before school started was…interesting, to say the least.

Also, Inglorious Basterds…where the hell do I even begin?

EDIT: There was a reference to Fox News networks earlier (a little joke for those who are aware of the controversy around the game). However, a couple people advised against using it 1) it takes away the immersion and 2) some might take offense to it. So I took it out.


	36. Chapter 27: Old, Unhappy, Far Off Things

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«4.02: The Citadel: Upper Wards: Wards Access Corridor»

«or Old, Unhappy, Far-Off Things»

Shepard and Ashley exited the elevator in complete silence. They did not want to talk to each other. Not at the moment at least. They were thinking of other things. Ashley, about her current predicament. Shepard, about what Ashley had told him before. About how he didn't really care about other people. In a way, it was true. He didn't really care about his teammates. They were just that: his team. Like before, he just saw faces, not lives, not personalities. Just faces.

Shepard scratched his head. Was it true? Shepard wasn't really sure, himself.

He suddenly smelled a massive amount of alcohol from somewhere.

"Hey there," said the filthy man. "Long time no see."

Shepard looked over and saw the filthy looking man. He was slumped on the ground, covered in the smell of decay. Dirt and grime covered his features so much, Shepard had a hard time discerning a face of any kind. A scruffy beard covered the lower half of his face, mixing in with the grime and dirt. In short, this man looked quite disgusting.

"Do I know you?" Shepard asked, not really caring. The man laughed.

"Well, I guess you wouldn't remember me," the man said, chuckling. "You were only 13 years old when we plucked you off Mindoir. Name's Ernesto Zabaleta. Was a friend of your mother. Talk to her, she can vouch for me."

Shepard furrowed his brow in confusion. He was on Mindoir? Now that he mentioned it, the man seemed vaguely familiar to Shepard. He couldn't tell where, though.

"You look like crap," Shepard stated, crouching down on the ground in front of the man. Ashley turned and listened.

"Yeah, well, to each his own," Zabaleta muttered, chuckling. "I served with your mother on the carrier Eisenstein. Was part of the patrol that picked you up a few miles south of the settlement…" Zabaleta paused, his smile fading. Shepard could see his mind was elsewhere. He could see that Zabaleta's mind was back on Mindoir, to the fire and screams of that night. This man was completely and utterly destroyed.

For some reason, this disgusted Shepard.

"I take it you're no longer part of the Alliance," Shepard asked. Zabaleta laughed.

"Nope," the filthy man chuckled.

"Hey," Zabaleta tried to laugh it off as he leaned forward. "I really hate to do this, but could I ask you for a favor? Could I get some credits from you? Just twenty should be enough."

Ashley watched the exchange in silence.

"20 credits isn't enough to get you back on your feet," Shepard noted.

"Uh, yeah, I know," Zabaleta scratched his neck, dirt flinging off his nails. "I just need it to get some, um, food. A man's gotta eat right?"

Everyone knew that it wasn't for food. Shepard stood up and looked down at the man, no remorse in his eyes.

"No," Shepard said coldly. "You want booze, get off your ass and get it yourself."

With that, Shepard turned and strode down the hallway, passing Ashley and leaving the man behind him, giving him no second thought. Ashley watched as Shepard left the poor man behind. Ashley looked back at Zabaleta, whose eyes were downcast and empty. He didn't even seem to notice Shepard had left, so lost was he. Sighing, she dropped twenty credits on the ground in front of him and followed after Shepard.

On the second elevator down to the Upper Wards, silence filled the elevator, broken only by the music and the occasional radio host giving the news.

"Why did you give him the money?" Shepard asked.

"Because he needed help," Ashley replied.

"You know he's just going to waste it on alcohol," Shepard noted.

"Yeah, I know," Ashley said.

"Then why bother?" Shepard asked.

"Because it's the nice thing to do," Ashley said.

"He gets to drown in alcohol while you're 20 credits short," Shepard scoffed. "Yeah, it's the nice thing to do."

"Well at least I actually _tried_ help him," Ashley said pointedly.

"No you didn't," Shepard said. "You just enabled him to get more booze."

"Well at least I did something," Ashley said. "You just walked away."

"Why not? He didn't want my help," Shepard said.

"So you just walk away from someone when they don't want your help?" Ashley asked.

"I left _you_ alone, didn't I?" Shepard quipped.

"You know what I mean," Ashley stated.

"Why should I help someone who clearly doesn't want it?" Shepard asked, resting his head against the wall.

"Why shouldn't you?" Ashley asked. "You're the _mighty_ hero of the Alliance. You help the weak and the poor." Her tongue dripped of sarcasm.

"Where the hell did _that_ come from?" Shepard shot at her. "I'm not a hero. I'm just a soldier. Sorry to rain on your parade."

"You didn't rain on anything," Ashley said.

Shepard looked at Ashley, trying to see what was bothering her. He replayed in his head he knew: it had something to do with the man who ran out of the bar nearly in tears and Ellison. He furrowed his brow.

"How do you know Ellison?" Ashley asked, as if on cue.

"He was my Drill Instructor during boot camp," Shepard asked. "He was the one who put my name forward to join the Special Forces personnel and receive what they called 'elite training.'"

"You then rose to level 7 in proficiency?" Ashley asked.

"Yes, along with some others," Shepard replied.

"You and Ellison seem to get along fine," Ashley said. Shepard noticed a soft tone of disgust in her voice. Barely audible, but there.

"I guess we did," Shepard said. "Actually, I don't really care much for him. He was just my instructor. One of many."

"Then why were you two so pleasant?" Ashley asked, he hint of disgust still there.

"He was pleasant for his own reasons," Shepard replied. "I was trying to calm you two down before you started killing each other." Ashley was silent for a moment, seemingly absorbing this.

"You should have let me kill him," Ashley muttered quietly to herself.

Shepard overheard her and was slightly disturbed by the coldness in her voice.

"So, after you get your head scanned," Ashley went on. "What will you do?"

"Head to an extranet port," Shepard replied. "Get in contact with Hannah and see if she can vouch for that Zabaleta fellow."

"Why? You already said you weren't going to help him," Ashley noted.

"Curiosity," Shepard answered simply.

"What do you think the Staff Commander will say?" Ashley asked.

"Dunno," Shepard said. "She'll probably ask me to help him."

"Are you going to?" Ashley asked.

"No," Shepard replied. "No point. But she's always the been the kind of person to go above and beyond the call of duty to help a person."

"Like you?" Ashley asked. Shepard was silent. "She adopted you and took you in, didn't she?"

"Yes she did," Shepard replied distantly. "But I'm not like her."

"I know," Ashley said. "Do you care about her?"

"It's complicated," Shepard replied.

"How so?" Ashley asked.

"Well," Shepard began. "I wasn't always a good little boy. I hated other people. I was content to ignore and be ignored by them. Hannah tried her best to rectify that."

"She didn't succeed, I guess," Ashley said bitterly. "You still hate other people."

"Not quite," Shepard replied. "Just those that deserve it."

"Like the civilians on Elysium?" Ashley asked. "The survivors?"

"No," Shepard answered. "The ones who weren't grateful to those who died for them."

"You just hate the ones who made Peter's death meaningless," Ashley stated.

"You got it," Shepard replied. "Haven't we been over this already?" Ashley sighed.

"We have," Ashley said quietly.

The doors opened and Shepard walked through as Ashley followed. None said a word for there were no words to be said. They both thought of the things in their own pasts that made them sad and the problems that came with them.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Garrus walked down the hallways, Tali close behind him, looking around from left to right, looking uneasy. The sounds of the patients filled the building: the steady beeps of their hearts, the soft moans of their respirators, and the clicks of their loved ones as they gathered around. The mood of the hall was hard to describe. It was a mix of elation, sorrow, boredom, happiness, grief and dullness. Tali could feel these emotions even through her suit. That wasn't what made her edgy. It was the feeling of contamination that the hospital had.

She knew she had nothing to fear. Her suit was tight against her body and bound shut. However, she still had to be wary of potentially sharp objects. Ever since she was young, her immune system was almost completely gone. Any contaminant of any kind could kill her, even the common cold. She knew she was being overly cautious but it still made her edgy being around a place filled with all kinds of infectious diseases.

"You know you don't have to come," Garrus told her.

"I know," Tali replied. "I want to."

Garrus nodded and knocked on the door. He waited patiently for the door to buzz and open for him. The turian walked in and Tali followed behind him. Inside, she was greeted to the sound of machinery beeping and the pumping of a respirator. However, none of this could drown out the weak breaths of the young, turian girl, struggling to live. Her body was thin (Tali was sure she saw bone poke through the skin). Tubes and needles stuck into her body, trying to keep her alive.

"Hey there, Adaravella," Garrus said quietly.

"Garrus," young Adaravella whispered, weak and fragile. "How…are you?"

"I'm fine, Adara," Garrus answered. "How are you?"

"Tired," Adaravella answered. "I want to…go to sleep, but…the doctors…want me to…stay awake."

"You should listen to them," Garrus whispered. "They're going to take care of you."

"I…know," Adaravella said.

"Adara, I've brought a friend of mine with me," Garrus motioned towards Tali. "She's a quarian from the Flotilla. Her name is Tali'Zorah nar Rayya."

"Tali…?" Adaravella asked.

"Tali'Zorah nar Rayya," Tali finished for her, moving closer to frail body. "But call me Tali for short."

"Your name…is so…long," Adaravella noted.

"Yes," Tali agreed. "Tali is my given name, Zorah is my family name while Rayya is the name of the ship I was born on."

"Wow…" Adaravella said. "I heard…quarians…change their…names…after their…Pilgrimage…are you…on…your…Pilgrimage?"

"Yes, I am," Tali answered. "Once I find something of value, I may return to the Flotilla and to my people. Then I can pick any ship I wish, my name changes, replacing the 'nar' with 'vas.' So, if I chose to be a crewmember of the Rayya, my name would be Tali'Zorah vas Rayya."

"What if…you…chose the…Normandy?" Adaravella asked. Tali looked like she was smiling.

"Then it would be Tali'Zorah vas Normandy," Tali replied.

"Doesn't really have a good ring to it, does it?" Garrus noted. Adaravella's soft laugh was sweet and tranquil, like the calm wind over a lake.

"I heard…you are…a member of…the Normandy's…team," Adaravella said to Garrus. "Under…Commander…Shepard…"

"Where did you hear that?" Garrus asked.

"The nurses…love…to talk…" Adaravella replied.

"Well, it's true," Garrus answered her.

"Are you…saving…the universe?" Adaravella asked.

"Something like that," Garrus replied.

They talked for an hour or so afterwards. Tali couldn't help but be touched by the young girl. Her questions ranged from why Tali wore a suit to whether or not they were dating (Garrus was speechless and if she wasn't wear her suit, she would have been bright red). But Tali was mostly touched by her strength. Despite being incredibly tired, she still had enough strength to talk to them. She was so full of life, despite it being drained away. Or maybe that was why she was full of life. Tali couldn't be sure. What she was sure of was that she was saddened when they had to leave.

"I must leave now, Adaravella," Garrus whispered to her. "But rest assured, I'll visit you as soon as I can."

"I'll…miss you…Garrus…it's…so…boring…here," Adaravella said weakly. She slowly turned her head to Tali. "It was…a…pleasure…meeting you…Tali…I…hope I…can meet…you…again…"

"So do I, Adaravella," Tali said. Adaravella turned her head back to Garrus.

"Kiss…?" Adaravella asked. Garrus chuckled and leaned forward, planting a small kiss on her forehead.

"I will see you soon, little beauty," Garrus said affectionately.

"See you…soon…handsome…" Adaravella answered.

With that, Garrus and Tali exited the room. If they didn't then, they would never have been able to leave. The power all children share would have drawn them back in without mercy.

Outside the room, the hospital seemed so much darker than before. Like the source of all light was in her room. If that was so, they shouldn't shut the door on her. Tali wished that very much.

"What are _you_ doing here, Garrus?" came a voice that was a mixture of fury and disgust. Tali turned and saw an elderly, female turian facing them, carrying what seemed to be groceries. Her face was full of frustration and exhaustion.

"Mrs. Aella," Garrus said. "I was just visiting Adaravella-"

"You really think your welcome here?" Aella snapped.

"Mrs. Aella-" Garrus tried to say.

"It's _your_ fault she's like this right now," Aella snapped again, voice thick with hatred. "If you had done your job, she would be living a normal life. But, I'll admit, you bring her happiness. But don't forget what you did to her. Don't think I'll ever forgive you for that."

Aella walked through Garrus, bumping his shoulder hard and walking into the door. Garrus sighed and continued walking. Tali watched the exchange, not sure of what was going on. She caught up to Garrus and grabbed his shoulder, stopping him.

"Garrus," Tali said, warmly, hand on his shoulder. Garrus didn't look at her. They stood there for a minute, the sounds of the hospital surrounding them and filling the silence. Tali was patient.

"A few years ago," Garrus began. "I was assigned to investigate black market trading on the Citadel. During my investigation, I noticed an increase in the sale of body parts. C-Sec wasn't sure if it was a lab selling organs illegally or some psychopath chopping up people and selling their parts. However, the truth was…far more complex than that."

Tali waited for him to continue.

"I ran a DNA check on a recovered turian liver," Garrus continued. "Imagine my surprise when I found that the 'donor' was very much alive. I later found out that the turian was working for a certain salarian, named Dr. Saleon."

"The one working with Saren?" Tali asked.

"The same," Garrus nodded. "I inspected Saleon's lab, but I found no sign of any cloned body parts or the machinery to grow them. No salarian hearts, no turian livers, not one krogan testicle. I was running out of options, so I began bringing some of Saleon's employees for a little 'chat.'"

Tali waited patiently.

"During the interrogation," Garrus continued. "One of the employees began bleeding profusely. I had the C-Sec medics check him out. They found fresh incisions all over his body. It turned out that Saleon was using his own employees as living test tubes. Cloning their organs, growing them inside their own bodies, then removing them and selling them on the market, giving his employees a small percentage of the profits. They were poor, anyways and needed the money. If the organs didn't grow properly, Saleon would simply leave them inside the body, killing them if they were lucky."

Garrus took a deep breath before he continued.

"C-Sec for ordered his immediate arrest," Garrus explained. "By the time we got there, the clever salarian bastard had already blown up his lab. However, we managed to catch up to him at the spaceport, where he had hijacked a small ship, filling it with his employees. When I approached him, he grabbed a nearby employee and held her as a hostage, sticking a syringe in her neck and threatening to inject poison into her body. She was just a completely random employee, nothing personal to him. She was 6 months pregnant with Adaravella."

Tali watched worriedly as Garrus' expression became pained and horrified.

"I ordered a sniper to blow the bastard's head off, but C-Sec countermanded my order," Garrus said with growing disdain. "Too close to Saleon, they said. I still wanted to try. But, Saleon made his way onto the ship. And then injected half of the poison into her neck and the rest into her womb. Then he tossed her off the ship before he closed the door and took off."

Garrus shuddered.

"She was taken as soon as possible to the hospital," Garrus said. "I ordered Citadel defenses to shoot down the ship, but C-Sec again, countermanded my order. They worried about the hostages, worried about the risk of civilian casualties if the ship was destroyed so close to the Citadel. I told them those hostages were dead anyways. But they didn't listen and he got away."

Garrus looked back at the door where Adaravella rested.

"The poison killed the mother upon arrival," Garrus explained. "Adaravella wasn't so lucky. Her immune system was completely destroyed, her digestive system was eaten away; her body is just a complete mess. The doctors gave her a week to live. That was nearly 5 years ago. She's still trying to march on. Such a strong girl."

Garrus lowered his head and shuddered again. Tali could see tears brimming in his eyes.

"She did nothing wrong," Garrus voice was hushed and trembling. "Nothing to deserve that fate. She wasn't even born yet. Her mother wasn't bad either. She just needed the money. She was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. In one second, her life was ruined. In one second, Adaravella was born to die."

Tali reached forward and turned Garrus to face her. She looked up into his eyes, filled with tears that he tried to force back.

"That bastard didn't even think twice of it," Garrus's voice dripped of anger. "There was no life in his eyes. He just didn't because it was convenient. And even then, he wasn't there. He was lost in his research. The world could be falling apart around him, and he still wouldn't care. Just so long as he's doing his _blasted_ research into god knows what, he doesn't care."

Garrus wiped away the tears before they fell, while Tali rested her head against his own, comforting him. They stood there for a moment as world passed them by. Soon, though, Garrus' shuddering receded and he composed himself, taking deep breaths and wiping the rest of the tears away.

"Suffice it to say," Garrus concluded. "I was trying to do my job, and C-Sec wouldn't let me. I lost faith in C-Sec right then and there. I almost quit. Adaravella was put under the care of her aunt, Aella. As you can see, she doesn't like me at all. But, that's in the past I guess. I just…"

Tali nodded, agreeing with him. He didn't need to say anything else. They stared at each other for a moment longer. Then Garrus nodded and turned away, continuing down the hall. As he did, his fingers found Tali's own and they interlocked, connecting their hands together. Each of their hands had only three fingers. A perfect match.

* * *

On a random note here: why is every Sci-Fi currency called credits? Are people just being lazy here?

Went through a kind of writer's block during this chapter. Nothing major, but it was noticeable. Here's my writing style: go in without any idea what I'm doing and just wing it. I have a start, I have an end, how do I get there? When writing this chapter, I continually came across the same answer: I have no godly idea.

But eventually, I was able to write it that I deemed it…passable.

I've been thinking of another FanFic as I was starting up Diablo II. Since most of my stories are just me combining different aspects of the games together (Mass Effect with all six backgrounds, Fable with Fable II and Fable I), I was thinking of writing a story where it's all five classes of Diablo II together in one story. I've actually already written the backgrounds and personalities of the characters and I have their names down. What's stopping me is that I'm pretty much preoccupied with this story and my Fable story. Tell me what you guys think.

Since most turian things stem from Roman history (turian comes from the word Centurion), Adaravella comes from the name Adorabella meaning "adored beauty." She's not based on anyone in particular. Nor is Aella (meaning "storm wind").

Looks like I'll be the first one to say this: I enjoyed Pinnacle Station. Crazy, right?

EDIT: Switched the two sections around to see how people like it.


	37. Chapter 28: Spacer

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«-4.01: The Citadel: Upper Wards: Med Clinic»

«or Spacer»

"All right, Commander Shepard," Dr. Michel said pleasantly. "All you need to do is lay on that table and stay still for a few minutes. It's as simple as that!"

"Sure, whatever," Shepard grumbled.

"Oh, stop complaining," Ashley scolded.

"Yes, mother," Shepard resigned. "Where's the table."

Dr. Michel motioned for him to follow her and they both proceeded to the scanning table, where the doctor's turian assistant waited patiently for them both. Shepard stripped down to his underwear (bringing a small redness to Ashley's cheeks) and propped himself down on the table. A large metal contraption slid over him and covered him from his waist up.

"Now, this will take a few minutes, Commander," Michel told him. "In the meantime, you can talk but you cannot move or we will have to start the whole procedure over again."

"Roger that," Shepard called from within the contraption.

"Should I leave?" Ashley asked.

"You don't have to," the turian assistant told her. "You can stay in the same room as the Commander if you wish. Just make sure not to move him."

The doctors left the room and soon, a bright light erupted from the contraption and a metallic hum rose and nearly filled the room. Soon, Shepard was giggling.

"What?" Ashley asked.

"You have _no_ idea how awesome this is," Shepard laughed.

"What, the lights?" Ashley asked, quizzically.

"Yup!" Shepard laughed again.

"What's it like?" Ashley asked.

"Like I'm completely blazed," Shepard joked. Ashley laughed along with him. "Well, it's certainly nice to hear you laugh again. You've been so moody lately."

"Yeah," Ashley smiled. "Sorry. I've just had a lot on my mind."

"And you need to fix it on your own," Shepard said. "You told me. Good luck with that."

"Thanks," Ashley replied. It felt good to have a smile on her face, she admitted. However, she couldn't deny that she needed to think about how she would help Samesh. There were no real ways to get around an order from an Alliance major. Especially one like Ellison. She didn't really know where to start.

"What do you think of your mother?" Ashley asked on a whim.

"You mean Hannah?" Shepard asked. He was quiet for a moment. "She's my stepmother."

"I know that," Ashley stated. "But do you like her?"

Shepard was quiet for a while.

"I guess so, though I'm not entirely sure," Shepard said. "She's not my real mother but she's the closest thing to one that I've ever had."

"So your relationship was always a good one?" Ashley asked, to which Shepard laughed.

"No!" Shepard exclaimed. "Don't you know me?"

"So what happened?" Ashley asked.

"Oh, I wanted absolutely nothing to do with her," Shepard stated. "I found her constant attempts to be kind annoying."

"Why?" Ashley asked.

"Because I didn't trust anyone," Shepard said.

"Why not?" Ashley asked. Shepard was silent.

"I'll tell you later," Shepard stated flatly. "But basically, I wanted nothing to do with anyone else."

"I feel another story coming along," Ashley said delightfully.

"I guess so," Shepard said. "I'm really bored right now and these hypnotizing lights aren't helping at all. So, what do you want to know?"

"Tell me about when you were adopted," Ashley said, getting herself comfortable.

"Okay, okay, let's see," Shepard muttered, gathering his thoughts. "After I was picked up on Mindoir, I was sent to the adoption board. They didn't really know what to make of me. I was a young boy of around 13 without any signs of trauma. So they took me from one psychologist to another, all of them coming up with different answers about me. It wasn't until Hannah suggested they stop throwing me around and actually give me over to be raised in a family. Hannah volunteered herself.

Eventually, I was sent to live on Arcturus Station and Hannah was sent on family leave. The Alliance thought this counted as maternity leave since she didn't have a husband or family to take care of me and I was considered a minor. Anyhoo, I lived in the living quarters of the station and I was originally sent to the middle school. However, I was pretty bored with that."

"You didn't like it?" Ashley asked.

"No, I didn't," Shepard responded. "But apparently I was smarter than most everyone there so they kept bumping me up a grade until I was in high school."

"Arrogant prick," Ashley said, jokingly.

"Hey, I've gotta be proud of my accomplishments," Shepard said jokingly. "Well, anyways…things didn't really…go well from there."

Ashley heard a tone of what sounded like remorse. Or maybe he was just reminiscing on past times.

/

2168

…Fifteen Years Ago…

/

_Playing playlist entitled "John's Oldies"…_

_Selecting random track…_

_Track #364: "_Nemo" _by_ "Nightwish"_ from_ "Once (2004)"

"_This is me for forever,  
One of the lost ones,  
The one without a name,  
Without an honest heart as compass,  
This is me for forever,  
One without a name,  
These lines the last endeavor,  
To find the missing lifeline,_

_Oh how I wish,  
For soothing rain,  
All I wish is to dream again,  
My loving heart,  
Lost in the dark,  
For hope I'd give my everything,_

_My flower, withered between,  
The pages 2 and 3,  
The once and forever bloom gone with my sins,  
Walk the dark path,  
Sleep with angels,  
Call the past for help,  
Touch me with your love,  
And reveal to me my true name,_

_Oh how I wish,  
For soothing rain,  
All I wish is to dream again,  
My loving heart,  
Lost in the dark,  
For hope I'd give my everything,_

_Oh how I wish,  
For soothing rain,  
Oh how I wish to dream again,  
Once and for all,  
And all for once,  
Nemo my name forevermore,_

_Nemo sailing home,  
Nemo letting go,_

_Oh how I wish,  
For soothing rain,  
All I wish is to dream again,  
My loving heart,  
Lost in the dark,  
For hope I'd give my everything,_

_Oh how I wish,  
For soothing rain,  
Oh how I wish to dream again,  
Once and for all,  
And all for once,  
Nemo my name forevermore."_

John Shepard, age 14, sat at a distant table in the corner, away from everyone else, his long hair covering his eyes. They ignored him and he ignored them. It was a perfect system. Besides, he wouldn't stay for long. Eventually, they would grow tired of him and he would be tossed aside for some other pathetic would-be parent to try their hand at raising a child. Why didn't they just leave him alone?

Listening to his music, John slowly ate his sandwich made by the woman who was at the current time his parent. It was rather tasty, John admitted. Filling. But John didn't let this put his guard down. He knew she was just like the rest of them. Feigning kindness while they stab you in the back. All of them were like that.

Still, John played along. He pretended to be the victim to satisfy them. Pretended that he was making progress to make them happy. One thing he learned is that when people think you're happy, they left you alone. In truth, there was nothing to progress in his life. He had a perfect system. Do anything to keep them away. If they got to close, he'll do whatever was necessary to drive them away.

"Hey, freak," a voice called to him. John looked up and saw another annoyance. A group of three rather large and muscular upperclassmen stood in front of him, with their girls trailing behind them. He wondered if there was any actual love in those relationships. John knew them as being the members of the football team and their physique showed it, though it didn't impress John in the slightest. He also knew why they were angry at him.

"Hey, freak! I'm talking to you!" yelled the big one. John thought he looked like a monkey of sorts.

"I heard you the first time," John muttered dully, bored already. "What do you want?"

"Don't waste your time, man. He won't do it," said Monkey's friend, whom John called Pinhead. He had a lot of piercings.

"Yeah, honey!" said Monkey's girl-toy. "Let's go to the Observation deck! We could watch the stars!"

"Shut up!" exclaimed Monkey. The behemoth from the football team grabbed a seat and sat uncomfortably close to John. John merely took another bite from his sandwich. Tasty.

"Can I help you with something?" John asked pleasantly.

"I just need help understanding something," Monkey said, smiling maliciously. "You are this…'whiz kid,' right? The one who knows all the answers despite being…what are you, 10?"

"14," John corrected, taking another bite of his sandwich.

"14, right," Monkey said. Pinhead decided to join in on the fun and slid another chair to John's other side, smiling. Their third companion, whom John decided to call Blubber because it was amusing, sat down next to Pinhead.

"Pretty young kid, considering you're a freshman," Pinhead commented.

"Amazing, when you think about it," Monkey said. "Skipped a bunch of grades to get here."

"Must be kind of scary, being where the big kids are," Pinhead added.

"Yeah, _real_ scary!" Blubber snickered. John ignored them as he took another bite of his sandwich. What kind of jelly was in it?

"But hey!" Monkey said. "We're nice guys! And we're _always_ trying to look out for the smaller people! If you want, we can protect from those other jerks out there."

Was it grape jelly? John couldn't be sure. But he was sure that the three stooges were coming around to the point of their little chat with him. He could hardly wait to see what stupid thing they wanted him to do for them.

"But we can't really do it for free, you know," Monkey continued. "We want something from you. You know its…um, what is it?"

"_Quid Pro Quo,_" John told him.

"Yeah, that thing," Monkey said. "So here's what we want from you. We can protect you from the jerks out there, but we want you to do a very simple thing. You see, being part of the football team, we can't really be bothered to do all the homework that the teachers pile on us. So we just want you to lighten the load on us. You do the homework we give you for us and we'll be your best friends! What do you say?"

"No," John said simply, taking a final bite from his sandwich. He reached over for his juice that Hannah had packed for him but Pinhead held it away from him. John looked at the stooges. They did not look happy.

"Maybe you didn't hear me correctly, retard," Monkey leaned in closer. John could smell his aftershave. "You do our homework, and there won't be any problems between us."

"There never were any problems between us," John noted. "In fact, I'm pretty sure this is the first time we've ever even exchanged words. And to be honest, I hope this is the last time I have to talk to someone like you."

"Care to repeat that?" Pinhead said threateningly.

"Honey, just leave him alone! He obviously doesn't want to help!" Monkey's play-toy pleaded. Monkey didn't listen, though. He was furious now.

"And why, exactly, don't you want to talk to someone like me?" he asked angrily.

"Because you're a incompetent air-head, incapable of doing anything on your own," John said simply. "You're a little baby who's afraid of doing a little work to actually earn a good grade in this world. Your self-esteem is so low that you don't think you're worth anything in this godforsaken universe. You beat the ones who're weaker than you because they remind them of you too much. You have a girlfriend who you don't even truly like because she's undoubtedly the hottest person in the classroom, as well as the easiest. In other words, an insect like you makes me sick and disgusted. Does that answer your question?"

Monkey quivered for a moment, the words striking too close to home. Then his hesitance turned to anger as he grabbed John's shirt and pulled him in closer.

"Listen, you little shit," Monkey whispered. "You either do what we ask you to or we'll make sure your years here are a living hell." John merely narrowed his eyes.

"Please let go of me," John asked politely for the first time.

"Or what?" Monkey asked, smiling. John returned the smile.

"Let go of me," John said with more force the second time.

"Dude, let's not waste our time. The teacher's watching," Pinhead said.

"Shut up!" Monkey exclaimed. "I don't care if they see! I need to teach this bastard a lesson in manners!"

"Let. Go." The third and final time. His brilliant blue eyes twinkled behind his black hair.

"What are you going to do about it, shrimp?" Monkey asked. "I'm bigger than you."

The one thing John had learned over the years was that no matter how big someone was they could still be brought down to your level. If you hit a certain spot, even a giant can come tumbling down. So, John grabbed the Monkey's wrist and twisted. With his other arm, John punched his adversary's elbow. It snapped like a twig.

That was when several things happened at once. One of the playthings started screaming at the sight of the protruding bone, though it wasn't nearly as loud as Monkey's scream. Pinhead and Blubber were both too shocked and stunned to make a move as John slammed his opponent's head onto the table, knocking him out and cutting off his scream short. It was at that time that Pinhead and Blubber began to act.

However, there were other members of the football team that were eating lunch that day. And, despite knowing how much of a jerk Monkey was, he was still part of the team. Some meant to end the fight while others meant to bring harm to John. Either way, John was ready for them.

Perfectly ready to die.

\::/::\::/::\::/

"Mrs. Shepard-" the bald principal began.

"Just Miss, please," Hannah corrected, tossing her shoulder length auburn hair.

"_Miss_ Shepard, then," the principal continued. "There was an incident today with your son, John. It seemed that a couple of members from the football team began picking on him during lunch. It escalated and soon became a full-on fist fight between them."

"Is he hurt?" Hannah asked.

"No, in fact what's remarkable is that he escaped with only some bruises and cuts," the principal responded. "However, it was the other students who were severely injured."

"What happened?" Hannah asked.

"The original three suffered from broken arms, legs and fingers," the principal said. "However, some of the others saw the fight being started and attempted to quell the fight, or at least, that's what they said they were trying to do. For all we know, some might have tried to fight John to defend their teammates, we may never know."

"Why don't you tell me what really has you worried, sir," Hannah said calmly. The principal sighed.

"A total of 15 students and three teachers became involved in the fight when it broke out," he said bluntly. "All of them suffered from injuries ranging from broken fingers to severe injuries to the…genital area. A few had to be sent to hospital."

"And John?" Hannah asked, feeling she had finally come to the main point of the man's fear.

"He was sitting calmly at a table and finishing his juice and lunch when they found him," the principal admitted.

Hannah didn't remember what happened during the rest of the meeting. She was sure he recommended John see a psychologist. Hannah knew it wouldn't work without John cooperating and there was no chance of that. The boy was scared and untrusting of everyone. He may never admit it but Hannah knew it was true. So many people hurt him during his life that he backed away from everyone. At least, that's what Hannah assumed.

Hannah drove John home in a hover car of sorts. Powered by electricity running through element zero, the mass effect field generated by it allowed it to fly through the highways with relative ease, but she didn't really think about this. She was trying to think of what to say to John, who sat quietly sitting beside her, looking out the window.

"The Arcturus station is beautiful at night isn't it?" Hannah asked. "The lights slowly turning off and the stars coming out."

John said nothing.

"I like to watch the stars as they come out," Hannah said. "It's like they're being born all over again. It's like they're starting to shine for the first time in history. You know?"

John said nothing, but Hannah noticed John turn his gaze upwards towards the stars.

"Have you ever heard of the hedgehog's dilemma?" Hannah asked, smiling brightly. That caught John's attention. He turned over to look at her, a questioning look on his face behind his hair. Hannah really wanted to cut off all that hair.

"Well, you know a hedgehog is covered from head to toe in spikes or quills," Hannah said. "During the winter, hedgehog's need to stick together and share each other's body warmth. However, the closer they get to each other, the more their spikes and quills hurt each other. So, the dilemma is to either get warm and hurt each other or say away from each other and freeze to death."

John blinked a few times before turning his attention back to the stars and the metal station zooming past.

"Sucks for them, huh?" John commented.

"I guess so," Hannah replied.

"And for us, as well," John said.

"Who?" Hannah asked.

"Everyone in this universe," John replied. "The closer we get to each other, the more likely it is that we hurt each other. That's what you're getting at, right?"

"You guessed it," Hannah replied cheerfully.

"Woman, you are _way_ too happy about that," John said.

"Boy, you are _way_ too introverted," Hannah shot back.

"Touché," John replied in a bored manner.

They soon were back at her apartment complex. It was rather barren, due to Hannah never really living there since she joined the Alliance. It was mainly only used for her days off. It still had that musky, new apartment smell to it as well. It still smelled foreign and alien.

When they entered the room, John immediately walked to his room and shut the door. That was it. He wouldn't come out again until the next morning. Or until he got hungry. Hannah sighed at the thought. Personally, she hated to cook. But she now had a son to take care of now, so she went to work.

A little while later, there was fresh spaghetti and bolognese sauce steaming on the table. Hannah smiled proudly to herself. It was the best piece of dish she had ever cooked before.

"John!" Hannah called happily. "Time to eat!"

John emerged from his cave like room and sat down quietly at the table, taking some food and began to eat. Silently. Hannah sat down across from him and began to eat her own meal. The room was silent except for the sound of the food and the clatter of their silverware.

John was happy to ignore and to be ignored by his supposed mother. He found her constant attempts to connect with him annoying. But she continued to pester him repeatedly. He didn't really know what to make of that.

"So what happened at school today?" Hannah asked. John glanced at her.

"It's exactly as it sounds," John responded.

"So you beat up fifteen of your classmates," Hannah stated.

"They're not my classmates," John reminded her. "They're just people who happened to be in the same area I was."

"They go to the same classes you do," Hannah said. "Sound's like classmates to me. But, I guess you don't see them as classmates, since they're just faces in a crowd."

"There you go," John said, chewing a mouthful of spaghetti. His eating habits slowly became forced and filled with frustration.

"But why did you do it?" Hannah asked.

"Because they threatened me," John reminded her and stating it a matter-of-fact tone.

"I heard only three kids threatened you," Hannah said. "The rest were trying to stop the fight."

"They were trying to hurt me," John blurted out angrily.

"Only one of them was trying to hurt you," Hannah stated.

"They were trying to touch me!" John exclaimed. In that moment, his hair flew away from his eyes and revealed them. His face went from anger to shock at his outburst so fast that Hannah almost missed it.

"Why don't you like people touching you?" Hannah asked.

John didn't answer.

"You don't trust them?" Hannah asked.

John refused to answer.

"John-" Hannah began.

"Thank you for the meal, Hannah," John cut in as he got up and walked back into his cave-like room, slamming the door shut behind him. Hannah sat very still for a while. The steam was still rising from the food, she noticed.

Hannah didn't really know what to do about John. On the one hand, she wanted him to be comfortable with her. She wanted him to trust her and she knew he never would if she sent him to a psychologist. You just couldn't force others to open up. But on the other hand, if this continued, she was certain John would hurt himself badly and she just couldn't forgive herself if anything happened to him. Despite not being of the same blood, she loved the boy too damn much to see him hurt. She couldn't explain why, she just did.

In the end, she decided to be patient. If she rushed him, he would close himself off from everyone and that was dangerous. So she bid John good night through the closed door and went to sleep.

However, her dreams woke her. She couldn't remember what they were exactly but she woke up trembling. She gazed around the darkened room and a terrible feeling washed over her. Something was not right.

She slipped out of her bed and donned her robe. Slowly, she peaked her head out into the hallway. The pale darkness played with the shadows on the wall. Nothing new. Hannah tiptoed down the hallway, making sure she didn't wake John. She emerged from the hallway and into the living area. Nothing there. However, she still couldn't shake the feeling the something was wrong.

Sighing quietly to herself, she walked to the door and peaked at the nearby screen. Pressing a button, she saw what was on the other side of the door. Nothing. Reassuring herself that nothing was wrong she began to walk away.

John's shoes were missing though.

Hannah froze as she stared at the ground by the door. His shoes were gone. He always left them by the door next to hers. Well, there were her shoes but his shoes…

"Shit!" Hannah cursed under her breath as she rushed to John's room. The door was left ajar. John never leaves his door open like that. Hannah slammed the door open and quickly turned on the lights.

John had been long gone.

\::/::\::/::\::/

The stars wheeling overhead were always such a mesmerizing sight no matter what planet you were one. John gazed up at them as he walked down the pathway, knapsack strung over his shoulder. Sure, they were arranged differently then they were on Earth or on Mindoir, but they were still stars. John often wondered what it was that caused man to look up at them and yearn to fly among them. Had they grown bored of their own land and sought more? John didn't know and was content in knowing the answer may never be found. He enjoyed gazing at the heavens above nonetheless.

"Hey! Watch it, kid!" a man shoved John out of the way, nearly causing him to fall over. Repositioning the sack back to its comfortable spot, John glared after the man. He contemplated slitting the bastards throat for a second, but decided against it. He was trying to escape, after all. It wouldn't be in his best interests to be causing a ruckus.

John continued to walk down the pathway as he looked out at the massive, rotating station surrounding him, as well as the gas giant Themis beyond. Still hard to believe that a year ago, he was on Mindoir. And harder still to believe that four years ago, he was back on Earth. With Jane…

John shook his head roughly. Don't think about that. Don't. Not now. Focus. Focus. He had to get to the docking bay. He needed to get away. Away from everyone.

John quickened his steps as he continued to his brisk walk. Still, his mind continued to wander around to various topics. Eventually, all the thoughts returned to Hannah, the pesky woman who refused to leave him alone. In truth, John had never met anyone like her. She was cheerful, kind, and caring, all traits that annoyed him to no end.

But John also had to admit that she wasn't like all the other people that he had met. She seemed to genuinely like him, something that he had only seen in one person his entire life. She was willing to take him into her home when he was put up for adoption. She cared for him and bought his supplies. She even picked him up from school after the incident without any questions. All in all, she continued to surprise John.

John slowed his footsteps as he neared the docking bay area, where hundreds of Alliance ships filled this side of the station with lights and noise. The wind generated from them kicked up his long hair, blowing it back and revealing his bright blue eyes that shone brilliantly. He took a long, hard look forward at where he felt he was forced to go. Then he took a hard, longing look backwards at where he felt he wanted to be. With a resigned sigh, he turned away and faced forward. Always forward. Never back.

He prepared to take the first step forward.

"John!"

The boy with brilliant blue eyes spun around at the sound of his name. He stared in shock and confusion at the woman who followed him there with her auburn hair blowing in the wind. Hannah, in her night robe and breathing heavily, stood just a few feet away from him. None said a word. One was out a breath and the other was too shocked for words.

"John! There you are!" Hannah laughed forcefully. "I've been looking everywhere for you! Why didn't you tell me you were going out! You really had me worried!"

John said nothing.

"Listen, you can't just run off like that in the middle of the night!" Hannah rubbed the back of her neck as she forced a chuckle. "If you had gotten hurt, no one would have been able to find you!"

John gritted his teeth in frustration.

"Did you come out here to get a view of the Alliance ships?" Hannah asked smiling. "I can see why. The ships are really beautiful to look at during the ni-"

"_**Why the hell can't you leave me alone?**_" John screamed, eyes blazing in furious fire. Hannah looked stunned.

"John?" Hannah whispered. John took several deep breaths as his hair covered his eyes, partially obscuring his vision.

"Are you just _that_ stupid?" John accused. "I don't want to be here! I don't want to be around _anybody_! **I just want to be left alone!**"

"No one really wants to be alone," Hannah replied simply and calmly.

"_**Well, I do!**_" John shouted again. "_**I hate you! I hate you all!**_"

"Okay," Hannah said nodding, holding up her hands. "Okay. Talk to me, John. Please. Talk to me. What's going on? Is something wrong? We can talk about it. I can help you. But you need to talk to me. Please John. Just talk to me."

"_**Shut up! Just shut up!**_" John screamed, clenching his fists tightly, his fingernails digging deep into the palms of his hands. "_**Leave me alone!**_"

Angry tears dripping from his face, John spun around and began to run. He didn't know which way, and he didn't care. He just needed to get away from her and her lies. He couldn't take her kindness any longer. He just couldn't. John was sure he was screaming after him but he ignored her. No doubt she would chase after him but he was raised on Earth. Another thing he knew how to do well was run.

John ran up towards one of the nearby cargo boxes. He jumped onto it and leapt towards the fence beyond it. He placed his hand on the top of the fence and pulled himself across. He landed feet first and rolled. John continued to run further into the spaceport.

Hannah couldn't believe how limber and agile he was, considering his age. But Hannah was not to be outdone by a 14-year-old kid, so she quickened her pace. Her bathrobe allowed her limbs freedom of movement as she climbed the fence and jumped down the other side. She caught sight of John as she landed and continued her chase. She had to take care of John. She had to help him anyway she could.

So John ran. He ran, his heart pumping, nearly leaping out of his chest. Blasts of hot wind blasted across his face as he neared some of the engines of the ships but he continued to run. Men shouted at him but he ignored them all. They could all have died for all he cared. He ran away from all of them. Always running. Always running, never stopping.

A drop and John skidded to a stop. Breathing heavily, he peered down below him at the gaping darkness of midnight that threatened to swallow him up. Panting, he saw no way across to the other side. And there was no way to tell how deep the crevice was.

"John!"

Hannah was running up to him. No choice.

With lightning fast movements, John grabbed his knife and whipped it out, its steel blade shining in the light of the engines. The wind kicked up his pitch, black hair, revealing his maddened eyes.

"Stay back!" John ordered, positioning himself in a ready position, like Elanos Haliat, the man he would kill, taught him.

Hannah skidded to a stop and raised her hands. They both stared at each other as they panted, nearly out of breath. Nothing was said for the moment.

"You're pretty quick for an old woman," John noted, breaking the tension.

"I work out," Hannah said as sweat slid down her cheek. Her face softened. "Why are you running, John?"

"To get away from your annoying pestering," John answered.

"Well, John," Hannah responded. "I'm still here. So talk to me. What's the problem?"

"You're the problem," John stated. "Don't you see that?"

"I'm trying to help you," Hannah said.

"I gathered that," John muttered angrily. "I don't need help from the likes of you."

"Then what do you want?" Hannah asked.

"Still don't get it?" John shook his head. "I want you to _leave me alone!_ I want _everyone_ to leave me alone!"

"Why?" Hannah asked.

"Why should I tell you?" John shot back at her.

"Do you even know why?" Hannah asked.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" John asked crossly. "You're all liars. Every one of you. Liars. You lie. You cheat. You kill. Animals, nothing more."

"Who hurt you John?" Hannah asked, calmly taking a step forward.

"_Everyone_!" John exclaimed. "Every human being I've ever met! _Everyone_ I knew has tried to kill me! You're no different!"

There it was. Hannah had known it all along but she needed to hear him say it to her. Calmly and slowly, Hannah took another step forward.

"_**Stay back!**_" John shouted again.

"John," Hannah whispered soothingly to him. Her face was filled with worry. Her chest ached with tears. "I promise you, with every ounce of my being, that I will never hurt you."

"Liar," John said angrily. "Stay back." He waved his knife expertly and threateningly.

"I know people have hurt before, John," Hannah said. Her voice was filled with remorse and empathy. "I know you are fill with pain, anger and a wound that may never be healed. But I will try to help you in any way I can. I promise you that, John."

"Shut up," John whispered again, his voice suddenly starting to sound uncertain. She was getting closer.

"I will never hurt you, John," Hannah said as she reached forward compassionately.

"**Shut up, just **_**shut up!**_" John screamed. He didn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it. He drew his knife back and lunged forward. He felt the knife slid into skin. Such a familiar feeling, yet this time, it felt…horrifying.

Breathing heavily, John looked up. Hannah had raised her arm at the last minute, letting the knife bury deep into her forearm. John, shocked and confused, watched as the blood ran down her arm, falling to the ground and forming a small puddle. Hannah winced at the pain, but ignored it. Slowly, she put her arms around John and held him close to her in a warm embrace. John's eyes widened. He felt her heartbeat, calm and collected despite the wound. He felt her warmth, a sensation he had not felt from another human being in a long time.

"I'm here, John," Hannah whispered. "Just talk to me."

Too much. Everything was going so fast. His heart was pounding in his chest. A pain was welling up within him. Too much at a time. John wasn't used to it. He quickly pushed Hannah away, closing his eyes tightly, blocking out the world and the sensations.

The edge. He forgot about the edge. His foot stepped back and landed on nothing but air. A heartbeat later, he was drifting back. He briefly saw Hannah cry out and reach for him, blood sent into the air from her arm. John head tilted backwards and he saw the darkness begin to swallow him up.

He felt something grab him and hold him tight. It seemed to shelter him from the pain of the universe. Cradled in the embrace, he felt…at peace. He felt at home. He felt-

Darkness.

A breath.

John slowly opened his eyes to even more darkness. He groaned as he tried to move. A dull throb ached throughout his body, limiting his movements. It was much more prominent in his left arm and his right leg, but he didn't think about that. He tried to understand where he was. And why there was an awkward…thing underneath him, like a rock of some kind. Ignoring that, he pushed himself up by his arms.

A snap and his left arm was broken.

Crying out in pain, John fell back to the ground and onto the thing beneath him. Slowly and carefully, he dared to look at his twisted and mangled arm. He must have landed on it. He could almost see the bone tearing his skin. Wincing he tried to get up again.

He heard a ship pass overhead, shining a light into the pit.

The mangled and broken body of Hannah Shepard was revealed to him.

Shouting in surprise, he leapt to his feet and his right leg broke beneath him. Screaming now, he rolled to the ground and tried to not move. Calming down and slowing his heartbeat, he examined his leg. Not too bad but impossible to move with. Rolling over, he examined the body beside him.

She was a bloody mess. Limbs bent in impossible positions. Blood covering her face. John could barely look, yet he felt entranced by the sight. He felt sick. Not at the sight but with himself. She had jumped, no doubt, catching him in mid-air. She had used her body as a shield against the ground, protecting him. Another death because of him.

No, she was alive. She was breathing! John leaned closer to the body, using his free arm to check for a pulse. It was weak but steady. But so what? What could John do about it? He had broken limbs as well. What could he do?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Weakly, John managed to climb to his feet, shifting his weight to his healthy leg. He caught a gleam and saw that his knife had fallen a few feet away. Moving slowly, he made his way to it. It was his only hope now. His only solace from the universe. Slowly, he managed to pick up the knife and sheathe it by his side. He paused. He glanced behind him. The body was still there. Beyond it, he saw a ladder leading out of the pit. 25 meters high, he guessed. No way he could carry her up there.

Sighing, he limped towards the ladder, moving so he didn't go near the body. He continued to limp, leaving the body behind. But something stopped him. He could still hear her voice and the words she spoke to him. She protected him. She had kept her promise. John glanced behind him again, his hair uncovering his pure blue eyes.

"Dammit, woman, you're going to kill me," John cursed as he made his way to the body.

In time, he managed to place the body of the 29-year-old woman onto his shoulders, partly dragging her along, holding her up with his healthy arm around her waist. He used his mouth to hold her arm around his neck, since his own arm was useless. Without a word, he made his way to the 25 meters tall ladder, determined to drag her up it if he had to. He knew where to go after that. A hospital was out of the question, though. They would have to place the incident into the system. The adoption board would find out about it eventually and John would no doubt be forced to live elsewhere. John wasn't going to let that happen. He couldn't. He owed it too her. He knew there was a hospital for animals about 10 miles from the spaceport. They could probably help them. Humans were animals too, after all. But he had to get out the pit first.

An hour. It took an hour for John to drag Hannah out of the pit (failing several times) and to the vet. For an hour, he dragged Hannah through the alleyways of the Arcturus Station, seeing no one. They were sleeping of course. They didn't care. An hour after he fell, an old veterinarian and his young assistant were shocked at the sight of a 14-year-old child carrying the body of a woman twice his size. He was breathing heavily, her blood dripping onto him and onto the ground. The bone in his arm had pierced through his skin and his leg was mangled beyond belief. His eyes showed that he didn't care. He was determined to help Hannah in anyway possible. Any pain he had was nothing compared to the pain Hannah had gone through.

Slowly laying Hannah down on the ground, John grabbed his knife and pointed it at the veterinarian, his eyes piercing and terrifying.

"Fix her," John demanded.

\::/::\::/::\::/

John sat on the ground an hour or so later, arm in a sling and leg in a cast, waiting for the return of the old veterinarian. For some reason, he decided to call him Asclepius. He had heard the name somewhere before but he couldn't remember where. Deep down, though, it felt appropriate. As for the female assistant, however, he didn't feel up to giving a name to her. He could always just learn her name, he supposed, but he honestly didn't care about what kind of relationship she was having with the old man. She didn't matter to him at all.

Hannah, on the other hand, was a different story.

The door swung open and John looked up.

"She's going to be fine," Asclepius told him. "All she needs is rest. I believe she relaxed her body the moment before she hit the ground, which allowed her body to absorb most of the impact. I've managed to fix her broken limbs and her internal organs are being repaired by Medi-Gel as we speak. Speaking of which, we can take your casts off, though you're going to have to wear a brace around your arm and leg until they're completely healed. Same for her."

"Fine," John muttered.

John allowed Asclepius to cut off the castings that clung to his limbs. John was still slightly amazed by how much Medi-Gel helped heal his wounds. The area where his bone had broken through the skin had become no more than another scar. He didn't let down his guard around the man, however. He was a stranger to him. Though he let the man put a brace around his leg and arm, he was still wary.

"Well, that should do it," Asclepius said with a tired sigh and wiping sweat from his brow. "Now, we should set up a bed for her so she can stay the night."

"Can we move her?" John asked.

"I would advise against it, but she's stable," the old man admitted.

"Then let me take her back home," John stated. Asclepius paused, thinking. He shrugged and sighed.

"Fine," Asclepius said. But John was already limping towards Hannah, ignoring the old man. "How do you plan on getting there?"

"I'll manage," John replied simply, looking over her limp body almost suspiciously.

"That won't do," the old man replied. "Let me drive you there."

"I only asked you to help her," John stated. "Not to drive me anywhere."

"Well, if I drive you two back home, I'll still be helping her. Besides, you're in no condition to be carrying her anywhere. Not again," Asclepius stated simply. John looked like he was considering his words for a moment, so the old man let him think.

"Fine," John finally conceded.

Asclepius moved the gurney that Hannah was lying on outside and to his car. John insisted on the car because it wouldn't draw attention. Asclepius merely shrugged. Soon, they were on their way, John sitting in the back seat with Hannah resting her head on his lap. John didn't mind anymore. Asclepius glanced at them in the rear view mirror and caught John stroking Hannah's auburn hair and forehead. He smiled when he saw that John wasn't aware he was doing it.

Soon, they reached Hannah's apartment and Asclepius helped move her from the car to her bed. Carefully and cautiously, of course. When she was safely in her bed and breathing normally, Asclepius took his leave.

"If you tell anyone about what happened, I'll gouge your eyes out," John stated.

"Hey, patient-doctor confidentiality," Asclepius said. "You should be able to buy some painkillers if you should experience anything at a pharmacy. Beyond that, all I can say is for the both of you to take it easy until your bodies heal. Make sure you plenty of food and drink plenty of water."

"I got it, I got it," John showed him the door. Asclepius shrugged and walked through the door. A thought occurred to him and he turned around.

"What is she to you?" he asked the young boy. John blinked at him behind his long hair. "I don't know what happened and frankly, I don't want to know. But just tell me this: why did you go so far for her? What is she to you?"

John was silent for a moment, looking thoughtful. Asclepius waited patiently.

John gave the old man his answer before he closed door.

\::/::\::/::\::/

John stayed by Hannah's side while she lay still on the bed. Sitting in a chair he had rolled into the room, he had a tray resting on his lap with some food he had found. Some fruit, meat and some juice. Just enough to fill Hannah's stomach and replenish her strength.

"Hannah," John said loudly. "You need to eat."

Hannah mumbled something incoherently. John took the apple and cut out a slice for her to eat. He leaned forward and placed the slice into her mouth and waited. He watched as Hannah worked the apple around in her mouth, trying to chew it and swallow. She could taste the apple but she felt so weak. The apple dropped from her mouth and onto her chest.

John picked up the slice and placed in his own mouth without a thought. He chewed it up until it was mushy and soft. He placed the tray down on the ground and leaned forward over Hannah's head. Without any hesitation, he softly opened Hannah's mouth and gently placed his own over it. He pushed the food into her mouth without any thought of it. He had done it before. Why should this time be any different?

When he leaned back, he felt a sort of…satisfaction when Hannah chewed on the apple slice and swallowed. Smiling a genuine smile so soft and kind, he picked up the apple from the tray and cut out a second slice. He placed it into his mouth and repeated the entire process. There was nothing strange about it. When an action is born out of necessity, it is rarely strange.

Soon, the tray was empty and Hannah rested quietly in the bed, her complexion slowly returning. John left the room and washed the dishes, trying to keep himself busy while he waited for Hannah to wake up. He finished washing the dishes so he decided to clean up the bathroom. When that was done, he decided to take care of the laundry. When that was done, he decided to clean up his room. When that was done, he decided to clean up the rest of the apartment. When that was done, he decided to work through the routines that he learned from the man he wanted to kill. When that was done…he didn't know what else he could do.

He entered Hannah's room and walked up to her bed, checking her pulse. It was steady. She was just resting her tired body. John stood there watching her, feeling slightly lost. But, oddly enough, he felt better than when he wasn't in the room. He noted that she seemed to bring him peace when she was near. Strange.

John sat down with his back against the wall, knees bent and feet flat on the floor. He took out his knife and examined it, remembering the girl who gave it to him. He guessed Hannah resembled her a little. Or at least, she reminded him of her. He put the knife away and sat there, watching Hannah, waiting for her to wake up.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Hannah slowly opened her eyes. She recognized her room, but how did she get there? What day was it? What time was it? She felt confused and tired. Her body ached. She slowly pushed herself up, sitting herself up right.

"Take it easy," John said. "You've been out for a day or so."

Hannah blinked.

"John!" Hannah exclaimed. "Are you alright?" She tried to lean forward, but her arms wouldn't listen to her.

"I'm fine, just a scratch," John replied. "You were in worse shape."

Hannah rubbed her shoulder, trying to rub away the soreness. She felt…rather cold, for some reason. She looked down at herself. Her eyes widened in shock.

"John," she asked slowly. "Why am I naked?"

"Oh," John said. "Your clothes were covered in blood. So I took them off so I could wash them."

Hannah quickly grabbed the sheets wrapped them around her body, hiding herself.

"Wha-wha-wha-_**what**_!" Hannah exclaimed. "Wh-wh-why-di-duh…"

"What?" John asked innocently.

Hannah groaned and closed her eyes tightly. Well, at least she still had her underwear on. Or did she? She quickly checked.

"Do you like wearing strawberry panties?" John asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"You're a perverted little runt, aren't you?" Hannah groaned.

"I try," John said, smiling. It took awhile for Hannah to realize that he had made a joke. Hannah smiled and chuckled. John returned the smile and also began to chuckle. They didn't know why, but for some reason, they both burst out laughing. It was the strangest situation in the universe and they laughed it away.

Over the course of the next few days, John helped Hannah recover the rest of her strength. Soon, she was able to walk on her own, though John continued to help her with the household chores, such as cleaning the rooms, making dinner and doing the laundry. Hannah merely smiled as she watched John work.

"Thank you," Hannah said one morning. John looked at her, a frown on his face.

"Don't thank me," John said.

"But you-" Hannah said.

"_**Don't**_ thank me," John stated harshly. "I'm the reason you're in that state. You don't thank me. Ever."

Before he could react, a pillow flew across the room and creamed him in the face.

"Stubborn brat!" Hannah scolded, holding the pillow over John's face as he tried to squirm. "I'll thank whoever the hell I want to thank! You saved my ass! So thank you!" After a moment, Hannah released the pillow and John came up for air.

"That time of the month, huh?" John asked, causing Hannah to smack him upside the head with the pillow.

John was on the ground, dizzy. But he rolled over to his side and grabbed a pillow. In retaliation, he slammed the pillow into Hannah's stomach, knocking the air out of her lungs.

"_**Oh, you're in for it now!**_" Hannah yelled. "_**Get over here!**_"

"_**Bring it on, hag!**_" John yelled back.

A few minutes later, John and Hannah were on the floor, breathing heavily, catching their breaths. Hannah was on her back while John lay across her stomach, both shuddering as they tried to contain their laughter.

"Thank you," Hannah said. "For taking care of me when I was injured."

John looked at her and smiled.

"I'm tired," John said. "I'm gonna go sleep. Wake me up if you need anything."

"Nighty night," Hannah said, smiling.

John entered his room and closed the door. Hannah watched him go, still smiling. She got up and turned on the extranet, seeing what news there was. For a few hours, Hannah sat on the couch and watched whatever came on. She was leaning back and relaxing after her little exertion with John. Her body began aching a lot faster than before so she had to take it slow. Still, she was happy. John was slowly beginning to open up.

It was around afternoon time when John's door opened again. He slowly made his way to the couch and sat down next to Hannah.

"What's on?" John asked.

"Nothing much," Hannah replied.

John nodded, still a little groggy. Slowly, John curled up on the couch and placed his head in Hannah's lap. Surprised, Hannah looked at John, trying to figure out what he was doing. But it was exactly what it looked like. John was resting his head in Hannah's lap. A feeling washed over her that nearly brought a tear to her eyes. It was a mother's love, she was sure. She placed her fingers in John's hair and affectionately rubbed his head.

"We should cut your hair," Hannah noted. "Just short enough so you can see past it. What do you think?"

"Thank you," John said quietly. Hannah paused. "Thank you for bringing me into your home. Thank you for taking care of me. And thank you for protecting me when I fell. I was jerk, I know. I…I just didn't want to trust anyone. I just wanted to be left alone. All you wanted was to help. I just didn't want it. I thought you were a liar. That you really didn't care for me. It was only after…only afterwards…that I realized that you really did care. Sorry it took so long."

"You took as long as you needed to," Hannah replied. "That's all." John blinked.

"Thank you," John said again, closing his eyes and smiling like a little child.

"So how about that hair?" Hannah asked. John opened his eyes and thought.

"Okay," John said.

They got a chair and John was soon wrapped up in a blanket. Hannah snapped the scissors in her hand, jokingly menacingly.

"Try not to cut my jugular, will you?" John asked.

"You've got no hair on your face, kid," Hannah said. "But sure. I'll try."

"Want some music?" John asked.

"Sure," Hannah replied. "What've you got?"

"You might like this," John turned on his Omni-Tool and selected a song. When it started, Hannah slowly began to move her hips to the music. She _did_ like it. Simple, yet powerful. Slowly, Hannah began to cut away the pitch-black hair that covered John's brilliant and lovely blue eyes. John let her cut off as much as she wanted to. He trusted her.

_Playing playlist entitled "John's Oldies"…_

_Selecting random track…_

_Track #306: "_Brave New World" _by_ "Iron Maiden"_ from_ "Brave New World (2000)"

"_Dying swans twisted wings, beauty not needed here  
Lost my love, lost my life, in this garden of fear  
I have seen many things, in a lifetime alone  
Mother love is no more, bring this savage back home_

_Wilderness house of pain, makes no sense of it all  
Close this mind dull this brain, Messiah before his fall  
What you see is not real, those who know will not tell  
All is lost sold your souls to this brave new world_

_A brave new world, in a brave new world  
A brave new world, in a brave new world  
In a brave new world, a brave new world  
In a brave new world, a brave new world_

_Dragon kings dying queens, where is salvation now  
Lost my life lost my dreams, rip the bones from my flesh  
Silent screams laughing here, dying to tell you the truth  
You are planned and you are damned in this brave new world_

_A brave new world, in a brave new world  
A brave new world, in a brave new world  
In a brave new world, a brave new world  
In a brave new world, a brave new world_

_A brave new world, in a brave new world  
A brave new world, in a brave new world  
In a brave new world, a brave new world  
In a brave new world, a brave new world_

_Dying swans twisted wings, bring this savage back home."_

\

2183

…Present Day…

\

"So tell me, doc," Shepard said sternly. "Is it terminal?"

Ashley chuckled and shook her head.

"Well, we won't know for another hour or so," Dr. Michel said, smiling. "We'll call you when we get the results."

"Alright," Shepard said. "We'll leave you to do…whatever it is you do."

"Be a doctor?" Michel asked.

"Yeah, that thing," Shepard hopped off the table and put on his clothes.

A few minutes later, Shepard and Ashley stood outside the office, leaning against the nearby railing and staring at the lights of the massive Citadel. Thousands of vehicles, powered by mass effect fields, flew past their heads, kicking up their hair. Beyond, the arms of the Wards stretched out far in front of them, like the fingers of a giant reaching out beyond. And further still, they could see the dust and lights of the Serpent Nebula, colorful and vibrant.

"You scared?" Ashley asked. "About the results."

"Not really," Shepard shook his head. "I'm more curious about what's going on in my head more than anything."

"I guess I would be too," Ashley said. She thought for a moment. "What did you tell the veterinarian? When he asked you what the Staff Commander Shepard was to you."

"I'll tell you later," Shepard said. "I'm tired.

"Fair enough," Ashley said. She smiled. "But I had to say, you were kind of a jerk when you were little."

"I wasn't a happy little boy," Shepard said, shaking his head.

"But I'm glad," Ashley said. "I'm glad that the Staff Commander could help you. Even though you didn't want it."

"She helped a little, I guess," Shepard said, thinking back. "She was there when no one else was."

Ashley smiled warmly. She could tell that Shepard was…a little happier now that he told that story. She slapped her hands gently on the railing. "I should be going. I've got things I need to take care of."

"Good luck with that," Shepard said. "I'll just hang out here. Enjoy the view."

"Have fun," Ashley said. She began to walk off but stopped, thinking. "Shepard, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Shepard responded.

"How would you try to get an Alliance research project canceled?" Ashley asked.

"What kind of project is it and why would I want it canceled?" Shepard asked, looking thoughtful.

"That's the thing," Ashley said. "It's a project that ultimately benefits in the protection of Alliance space, and yet…something about it just doesn't sit well with your…gut, feelings or instincts, I guess.

"It's a problem of ethics, then," Shepard noted. "I don't like the way it's handled, the details of the project doesn't sit well with my own beliefs, stuff like that. Or do I have something personal at stake?"

"All of those things, I guess," Ashley said. Shepard furrowed his brow, thinking about it for a moment.

"I wouldn't be able to do much," Shepard said slowly. "All I could really do is send my complaint through the proper channels and make sure it got to an man of higher rank than the officer in charge of the project. Beyond that, there's not much I could do. As a soldier, the man above me in rank inherently knows more than I do."

Ashley didn't smile at the joke. She merely nodded and looked at the nebula again.

"I see," Ashley said quietly. "I'll see you later, Skipper." Without another word, she walked down the hallway. Shepard stared after her for a moment and sighed. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, inhaling deeply. He needed it.

A green keeper scuttled its way up next to Shepard. Green and insect-like, it pulled out a datapad and began to work furiously, its four limbs tapping away on the holographic keyboard. Shepard glanced down at the keeper who ignored Shepard. Shepard blew a puff of smoke down from the side of his mouth, trying to see a reaction. It got none.

"How's it going there?" Shepard asked. The keeper didn't answer. "Were you eavesdropping on us?" Again, the keeper didn't answer, causing Shepard to sigh.

"Yeah, I know I should help her," Shepard talked more to himself. "Hell, whatever's going on, it's eating her up inside. But she doesn't want my help, so why should I give it? She wants to see if she can fix it on her own. I can understand that. She's so full of pride. If I were in her shoes, I'd probably want to fix it myself too, without any help from anyone. Maybe I'm just worried about her, I don't know. She really forces her way under your skin if you spend too much time with her, what with all her pestering and annoying questions. Thing is though, I don't know what's going to happen if I just leave her be. If I help her, she's going to hate herself and think she's weak. If I don't help her, she likely to get into some kind of trouble with the higher ups. I don't know what to do. So many problems. And for some reason, I feel like _I_ have to take care of them all."

The keeper didn't say anything. It just continued to type whatever it was typing on the datapad.

"Don't talk much, do you?" Shepard asked. Then he looked up and scoffed. "What the hell am I doing? I just got my head scanned and I'm talking to a bug. I guess I _am_ losing my mind!"

The keeper reached over with an insect claw and patted him gently on the shoulder twice. Shepard looked down at the bug, perplexed. The keeper continued to work. Shepard looked down at his cigarette, furrowing his brow in confusion. He looked at the keeper again, who just continued to work. It then closed its datapad and walked away to another part of the station. Shepard looked out after the bug, still in confusion. Keepers never interacted with anyone. Ever. They just walked around the Citadel, fixing what needed fixing and making adjustments.

"That was weird," Shepard muttered, taking another puff of his cigarette and staring out at the galaxy.

* * *

Sorry for lateness. College started again so I've been busy with that. Then I got sick, so that sucked. Wanted to tear out my sinuses and leave them bleeding on the ground so this shit won't happen again…ugh, I hate getting sick. As I'm writing this, I feel dizzy enough to collapse if I get up to fast. Or that could just be the medicine. Who knows.

So here ya go. The Spacer background. Out of all the backgrounds, I think the Spacer is the most boring one. Shepard lives on ships and stations his entire life. That's all it is, really. The only thing that makes this interesting (in my opinion) is his relationship with his mother and that was downplayed a lot. So hopefully I pulled it off. It's a twisted and complex relationship but I think there's genuine love between them. But what do I know? I'm just a lazy college student.

I also thought it would be interesting if Shepard tell his problems to a random keeper instead of explaining everything in a lengthy paragraph of internal thoughts. Just switch if up a bit.

Also, if you've been keeping up with Mass Effect 2 news, you'll know that two teammates have already been revealed: Grunt, a krogan dude who looks younger than Wrex and Thane, a philosophical drell assassin. There was also a third teammate revealed at the Tokyo Game Show: Subject Zero, a biotic human bitch with a foul mouth and skin that's covered in tattoos. And apparently she's one of the love interests. …Yeah, I'm gonna stick with Liara on this one, thank you very much.

And as you may know, members of your previous team will return in the sequel provided they weren't killed off in the first one. My question is this and to my frustration it has not been answered yet: will they be part of your team on the supposed suicide mission or will they only be making cameo appearances? Let's hope for the former.


	38. Chapter 29: The Wet Nurse of Violence

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«4.03: The Citadel: The Presidium: Diplomatic Archives»

«or The Wet Nurse of Violence»

Ashley walked into the room and looked for an open terminal. The Diplomatic Archives was pretty sparse, containing only a turian, a middle-aged woman, and a lumbering elcor. There was also a bug-like keeper in the background, but Ashley didn't see it, ignoring it completely without realizing she did. The keepers tended to blend into the background.

Mainly, only diplomatic officials used the archives, which was only a few meters away from the lounge, allowing them to buy their drinks and bring it to one of the many computer terminals in the room. Ashley found an empty one and took her seat. She could have gone to some of other terminals scattered throughout the Citadel, however, those were mainly for the general public. In here, the diplomats are generally the first in line for bandwidth, which meant Ashley could get her message out faster.

Ashley typed in her ID and password, accessing her Alliance mailbox. She paused as she composed a new message. Taking a deep breath, clenching her fists, she began to type her message. She would send it to Admiral Hackett, hoping that the fact she was on Shepard's team would persuade him a little easier. Shepard was a Spectre, after all.

As she typed, her thoughts traveled to Nirali, one of her closest friends. Now dead. It was strange. One minute someone's here and the next they're not. And yet, as a soldier, she had to be used to people disappearing forever. As a human being, though, she would trick herself into thinking that some people wouldn't disappear. That they would stay by her side forever. Nirali was one of them. She was a good woman and Ashley respected her very much. Nirali had a personality that made her likable. There was no way that she would die.

Ashley paused in her typing, looking but not seeing the words on he screen. A near minute passed and she realized that something had fallen on the back of her hand. It was wet and clear. A tear, she realized. She was crying. She gritted her teeth and shook her head, pushing her hands to her face, wiping away the tears. Now wasn't the time for them. She needed to finish the message.

She began to type.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Shepard walked up to the extranet booth, a circular, seated contraption with a screen and a keyboard. He pressed a button and the screen lit up.

"Good afternoon, Commander Shepard," Avina spoke softly and soothingly through the speakers. "How can I be of assistance?"

"Afternoon, Avina," Shepard said, stifling a yawn. "I wish to place a real-time connection to the dreadnaught _SSV Kilimanjaro_. I want to speak to XO Shepard."

"Is it a personal call? Or business related?" Avina asked after a minute. Shepard thought about lying. If it was business, it would get priority and the call would be placed faster. But, he still had about a half an hour to kill before the results of the scan. That, and if anyone found out that he had used bandwidth on a personal call that was supposed to be used for business, Udina would never let him hear the end of it.

"Personal," Shepard said simply and leaned back, closing his eyes. He felt the shadow of a headache. Was it because of the scan? He doubted that but one could never be sure. Whatever the reason was, he was going to have a headache later. He knew it and he barely looked forward to it.

The screen flashed and the auburn haired woman's face was on it.

"Shepard spe-" Hannah started than stopped when she saw who she was looking at. "John? Well, isn't this surprise."

"Hello, Hannah," Shepard said, smiling. "How're things?"

"Good, I suppose," Hannah said, shifting through papers. "Lot a work, you know? But, I suppose you don't need to be reminded of that."

"You got that right," Shepard said, smiling.

"I heard you found an asari," Hannah noted. "The daughter of Matriarch Benezia, the woman who works for Saren."

"Liara. What about her?" Shepard asked.

"Oh, is _that_ her name?" Hannah said jokingly. "So what's she like?"

"Why do you want to know?" Shepard asked.

"Humor me," Hannah said, a gleam of mischief in her eyes.

"She's…interesting," Shepard said. "She's a scientist who specializes in Prothean extinction. Beyond that, I can't say any more. Classified."

"I'm sure you can tell me what she's like," Hannah said. Shepard sighed.

"She likes to spend a lot of time alone," Shepard continued. "Not used to talking with others, I guess. But she's…kind. Caring, compassionate. She doubts herself when she shouldn't. But…she's interesting."

"Commander John Shepard, are you _blushing_?" Hannah exclaimed.

"No!" Shepard exclaimed defensively, causing some of the passerby's to jump. "It's just…hot. Here. There's no air-conditioning in the extranet terminals. Plus, I think the keepers are messing around with the ventilation system again."

"I think you are!" Hannah exclaimed. "I think you're actually turning red!"

"Jesus christ, you old hag, will you shut up?" Shepard muttered under his breath. She heard him.

"_**Shut up you little brat! I'm not that old!**_" Hannah screamed. She coughed and cleared her throat. "So you like her?"

"Yes, I guess I do," Shepard said smiling.

"And little Ashley?" Hannah asked. "How is she?"

"She's dealing with some kind of issue," Shepard admitted. "I don't know."

"Is she in trouble?" Hannah asked, concerned.

"I don't know," Shepard said. "She might be."

"She _might_ be?" Hannah said skeptically. "You're supposed to be her commanding officer! You're supposed to know if something's wrong with your subordinates!"

"I know something's wrong with her!" Shepard stated angrily. "But she's so stubborn. She doesn't want any help from me."

"So what, you're just going to say no?" Hannah asked.

"She never asked for my help," Shepard stated.

"So?" Hannah said. "If a friend of yours is in trouble, you need to help them!"

"She doesn't want my help," Shepard said firmly. "Not yet, at least."

"Then should you wait until she does need help?" Hannah asked. "I know she's a stubborn and proud girl. I knew it the second I saw her. I know she would rather die than ask for help."

"This is deeper than just pride," Shepard said. "She's trying to see if she can help a friend with her own strength, without having to rely on anyone else. She's trying to be independent. Granted, I think she's not going to have much luck, but I'm going to respect her wishes and will only help if she asks for it."

"What if its too late?" Hannah asked, to which Shepard merely shrugged. Hannah sighed. "Well, I disagree with your method. But you're over there and I'm over here. I hope you don't regret it."

"We'll see," Shepard said. Hannah shook her head.

"You always did like to gamble with the important things," Hannah said, smiling.

"Makes things more interesting," Shepard said with a smile. "Oh, and before I forget. Do you remember a Lieutenant Zabaleta from the Einstein?"

"Ernesto?" Hannah said, interested. "Have you heard from him? He was one of the marines who guarded the CIC. We shared a watch. I lost track of him after…well, after Mindoir."

"Huh," Shepard said. "Well, he's here on the Citadel. Looks like shit, too."

"I don't doubt it," Hannah said, leaning back in her chair. "He was actually part of the task group that picked you up. Do you remember?"

"Not really," Shepard said. It wasn't a complete lie. He remembered fire. Fire and blood.

"Well, the Einstein's task group responded first to the mayday sent from the colony," Hannah continued. "The batarians were still pulling out when the marines hit groundside. Zabaleta was one of the first down. He…he was never quite the same after."

Shepard's eyes softened. He suddenly felt sympathy. And maybe empathy. He crossed his arms across his chest and looked down at the keyboard. Looking but not seeing. He narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw. Fire and blood.

"Well, it's understandable," John muttered. He gripped his arms, tightening his fists. "Every abomination a sentient being can do to another took place on Mindoir. To a slaver, a person is just another animal. And batarians hate humans. Like wolves, they picked out the weakest of them. Killed them without mercy. Fed the newborns to the varrens. Alive. As for ones they could use, they shot an implant into their skulls without anesthetic."

"John?" Hannah asked.

"They used flamethrowers," John continued, his voice picking up speed. "But not all the time. Varrens loved their meat raw and still bleeding. Preferably still twitching. The night was filled with all kinds of horrors worse than that, though. Raping the kicking and screaming girls and women so their minds would break easier. Mutilating the wild little boys and men so they couldn't put up a fight. There was a pile about this high filled with arms and legs. Maybe more. They probably tossed an old man in there for fun. Pretty sure they burned that down to cover their escape with smoke."

"John," Hannah said, more forcefully, trying to reach him. He was slowly fading away.

"Their screams resounded across the colony," John whispered, now a recluse, so lost he was. "The screams as they were dragged off like dogs, locked away in cages. At that point, their survival instincts kicked in and they no longer cared about looking human. In their attempts to survive, they became the very thing the slavers saw them as. They kicked, the gnawed, the bit. They did anything to escape and survive. Even when the wilder ones were decapitated. Even when the slavers stuffed the heads with grenades and lobbed them at the marines. Even-"

"_**John!**_" Hannah shouted.

John's body jolted and he glanced up. Hannah was leaning forward in her chair, a look of concern and worry on her face. Shepard blinked and put a hand to his head, massaging his temples. The headache was beginning to surface now, and will become head splitting.

"Sorry," John muttered. "I've just…"

"You okay?" Hannah asked.

"Lot of stress, I guess," Shepard muttered, though he didn't really believe it.

"You should rest," Hannah suggested.

"Believe me," Shepard chuckled. "I'm trying. Anyways, it's pretty obvious that Zabaleta has post-traumatic stress because of what he saw." Hannah stared at Shepard for a moment, trying to figure him out. Once again, she was met with failure. If Shepard didn't want you to read him, you couldn't. She sighed and decided to move on.

"He tried to keep working, but it rode him," Hannah replied. "He showed up drunk on duty more and more. We couldn't always cover for him. So the Alliance discharged him. Everyone knew he drank because of what he'd seen down there. Even if he never talked about it. Especially because he never talked about it."

"Sensitive?" Shepard asked.

"He was," Hannah replied, remorse filling her voice. It was obvious she cared about him. "Always in laughter and tears."

Shepard crossed his arms again with a sniff.

"Well, he's still drinking," Shepard noted.

"I'm actually glad you found him," Hannah said. "If you see him, please tell him…we still worry about him. Tell him to go to the Veteran's Affairs Office. They can help him."

"And why, exactly, should I waste my time helping someone who can't help himself?" Shepard said, anger in his voice.

"Because I'm asking you to," Hannah rebuked. "Isn't that enough?"

"Everyone makes they're own choices in life," Shepard replied. "And they make their own punishments as well. Drinking is Zabaleta's. Why should I deny him of that?"

"Even if it'll kill him?" Hannah asked, crossing her arms in frustration. Shepard merely shrugged.

"I can't be responsible for him," Shepard said.

"I guess there's no arguing with you," Hannah sighed. "I won't tell you how to live your life. I can't make your decisions. All I'm saying is that if you take Zabaleta to the VAO, it would make me happy."

Shepard stared at Hannah for a minute. Possibly examining her. Then he shook his head with a soft smile.

"You care too much, woman," Shepard said playfully.

"I try," Hannah replied, a smile forming on her lips. "Listen, duty calls. But I appreciate you calling me."

"I enjoy talking with you," Shepard replied. And he meant it.

"Keep up the good work," Hannah said happily. "You're making us proud. Shepard out."

The monitor fizzled and ended the transmission. Shepard was left staring at the blank monitor, unsure of what to do next. So he sat there, thinking.

His Omni-Tool began to hum and he answered the incoming call.

"This is Shepard," he said.

"Commander," answered the womanly voice. "This is Dr. Michel. I've called to tell you that the results of the scan is finished now."

"That was fast," Shepard noted.

"Yes," Dr. Michel said uncertainly. "The scans turned up some…_interesting_ results." Shepard noted that she sounded…at a loss. That was never good.

"I'm gonna die, aren't I?" Shepard asked.

"No! Oh no! Nothing like that!" Michel stammered. "It's just…it would be better if I explained this to you in person."

"Sure thing, Doc," Shepard replied. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

Shepard got out of the extranet terminal and began his walk to the Med Clinic. The headache was beginning to show its true colors, throbbing his brain and temples. Shepard began to suspect that this was going to become a bad day.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Ashley sat the computer, twiddling her thumbs, waiting for a reply. She didn't really know why she was waiting. She doubted that Admiral Hackett would read her mail that day. She figured that he was busy with other things. But still, she waited patiently. Other humans entered the archives and went. Aliens came in but Ashley didn't really pay them any mind, letting do their own thing. That keeper was still there, but she didn't pay it any mind as well. It was part of the background.

Ashley had high-hopes. Too high, she knew but still, she hoped that Admiral Hackett was more understanding than Ellison. That bastard didn't even think twice about respect for the dead. She hoped the Admiral was different. But in the end, she was always hoping. Emily Dickinson said once that 'hope is the thing with feathers.'

A ping in on the computer and Ashley leaned forward. There was a new message. 'From the desk of Admiral Steven Hackett' it said. Ashley gulped and hovered her hand over the message. She clenched her fist and opened the message.

_To Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams,_

_I appreciate your concern and your opinions on this matter. Indeed, I can understand fully how this situation can affect you, having been close to Miss Nirali Bhatia and her family._

_However, it is with regret that I inform you that I cannot release the body of Miss Bhatia to her husband. My peers and I respect your opinions on this matter but at this point the body of Private Nirali Bhatia has been deemed to valuable, as Major Harlan Ellison has no doubt told you. The studies being conducted now will ultimately serve the greater good and_-

Ashley's fist crashed into the computer monitor with a sudden bang. Everyone in the archive jumped at the sound and at the sight of the human soldier, with her chair knocked over and her body hunched over. She took deep, deep breaths with her eyes wide with fury. Her mind was completely and utterly blank. She had no idea what to think of at that moment. So she focused her attention on the pain in her hand. It distracted her from the tears that formed from frustration.

* * *

What is the wet nurse of violence? Look it up.

The room Ashley's in is the room right across from the Executor Pallin's office in the game. It doesn't have a name of any kind so it's the Diplomatic Archives.

Re-reading the Mindoir shpeel and I gotta say, I'm pretty messed up aren't I? And this is why it is rated M.

Started writing a vampire book. Maybe because all of these goddamn vampire movies coming out now (blame the mother f-ing demon spawn that is Twilight), but I am. It's not a FanFic so I can't put it on this site. It's just an idea of many that I've been thinking up over the course of years. It's coming along nicely, I think. I don't know. If you guys want to read what I've got so far…I don't really know how to send it to you…hm.

Oh, and a new poll on my profile is up. Have fun.


	39. Chapter 30: Help Me

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«4.04: The Citadel: Upper Wards: Med Clinic»

«or Help Me»

"Commander Shepard," Dr. Michel said pleasantly. "Thank you for seeing me."

"Whatever, what is it?" Shepard asked. The headache was getting bad. And the doctor's expression wasn't helping it much.

"Please have a seat," Michel gestured kindly to a nearby chair. Shepard sighed and took the seat.

"So," Shepard started. "What, exactly, have you found?"

"Well," Michel started slowly. "At first, we found nothing. It seemed that your brain was that of a healthy and relatively normal brain. There is some scarring from when you used your biotics but besides that nothing out of the ordinary. Please take a look at this."

Michel pressed a button on her Omni-Tool and a graph-like picture came up. Upon it was a line that curved up and down like a heartbeat, but a little more random.

"This is the scan of your brain when subjected to electroencephalography," Michel explained. Shepard stared blankly. "EEG, for short. It basically records the electrical activity along the scalp produced by the firing of neurons within the brain. As you can see, these are what are called 'beta waves.' These are the level of your brain activity when you are awake. As you can see your brain is normal in this respect. Towards the end, it even slows down, becoming 'alpha waves,' most likely because you were beginning tire and fall a sleep. You were laying in one spot for nearly an hour."

"Sure, we'll go with that," Shepard said blandly. He was smart, but he still couldn't understand half of what the doctor was saying. He caught a few words but most of it may as well have been in the batarian tongue. He began to wonder if the universal translator in his clothing, which translated most dialects, alien and human into English, was malfunctioning, but he knew _that_ was impossible.

"Later, however, we found something…different," Michel said hesitantly. "At first, it seemed to be nothing more than a small error, that could have easily been attributed to faulty wiring in the machine. It may have been a small glitch in the monitor. But as we examined it further, we discovered what it was. And…to be honest, it disturbed us."

Michel pressed a button and the image on the screen changed. Instead of the sporadic waves of the previous video, it was replaced by a rhythmic wavelength that seemed rather sparse. Whereas before, the waves were small and bunched together, this wavelength was more spread out and moving slower. Much slower like it was…asleep.

"These are delta waves," Michel explained. "Basically, this is your brain during deep sleep. It's slowed to a steady pace with bursts of electric at random times."

"Okay," Shepard said. "What about it?"

"These delta waves were discovered to have been lying underneath your normal brain activity," Michel replied with growing uncertainty.

"Meaning what?" Shepard asked, though he already guessed.

"It means that you have brain activity that is normal for you," Michel said slowly. "But at the same time, you have another brainwave. Beneath one brain wave, you have another one that is…in a deep sleep."

Shepard said nothing. What could he say? This was…strange, to say the least. Two sets of brain waves showing two completely different things. Two different brain activities. The possibilities seemed vast. His head began to throb dully.

"Huh," was all Shepard could say. Even Michel was at a loss for words. It seemed to make more sense in her head but out loud, it sounded unbelievable. But as seconds ticked by, Michel spoke.

"I could…redo the test again," Michel stammered.

"You've already scanned the results a couple times, haven't you?" Shepard stated, to which Michel nodded. "Then there's really no point. Just send the results to the Council as is."

"But…" Michel tried to protest, but in the end, what else could she say? "Alright. I'll…try to explain what's going on with…you. As best I can."

"That's all I ask," Shepard said, getting up. "Don't tell anyone else, though. Don't need people think I got a Jekyll and Hyde thing going on."

"Who?" Michel asked.

"Never mind," Shepard said waving her away.

"Not even your teammates?" Michel asked.

"Especially not my team," Shepard replied. "What about the biotics? _Am _I a biotic?"

"That's another thing that's strange," Michel continued. "Only recently have small eezo nodules begun to grow throughout your nervous system. They're small, but they're slowly growing. I suspect that by the end of the week, they'll be fully grown. We can't find any reason for these growths. It would seem that your experience on Therum have jump-started the growth process. This is…almost unheard of. Normally, eezo nodules grow when an individual reaches puberty. But that's only if they were exposed to element zero in utero. Do you know if you were exposed to element zero as a child? Or anytime in your life?"

"Not that I know of," Shepard said, shaking his head. "I don't think about my past much."

"It would seem, commander, that you are one giant enigma," Michel noted.

"Or a freak of nature," Shepard said bitterly.

"I'm not saying-!" Michel exclaimed but Shepard cut her off.

"Don't worry about it," Shepard waved her off again. "I should probably get going."

"Sure," Michel said hesitantly. "I'll send the results."

"Good," Shepard said. He stood up and stretched. The headache was growing, it seemed. This day just continued to feel full of all kinds of burdens, each piling on top of the other. Silently, he walked to the door.

"Good luck, commander," Michel said behind his back. Shepard waved good-bye without turning.

He exited the clinic and paused, furrowing his brow. He stared at the ground, seemingly processing what he had just learned. He couldn't think or imagine where to _begin_ to think. Shepard took a breath and walked again to the railing, where he had the conversation with Ashley not so long ago. He stared at the Citadel, its breathtaking lights dancing across his eyes. Still, he found no answers.

Groaning to himself, he slumped and rested his head on the railing, trying to cool his headache. It didn't work and Shepard gave up on that. He shook himself, walked to the Citadel Rapid Transport terminal and hailed a vehicle. Maybe the ride would calm him down. He needed to catch up with Ashley as well. He wondered how she did with her letter.

Just as Commander John Shepard arrived at the Embassies, Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams had received Admiral Steven Hackett's reply to her request.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Ashley's world was too perfect. The walls were too straight, the ground was too clean, and her clothes were too neat. Perfection everywhere. It appalled her. Disgusted her. She was angry at everything that was more perfect than she was. She had to be better than the best. She had to be perfect in everyway. But the world around her, the world that wasn't hers, was too perfect. Too perfect, too perfect. She couldn't be more perfect than the world around her. So she wanted to destroy everything. Too make everything imperfect, so she was more perfect than it. The walls needed to be broken since they were too straight, the ground needed to be dirtied since they were too clean, and her clothes needed to be torn apart since they were too neat. She wanted to do all these things and more.

But she did nothing.

The pain in her hand had dulled to nothingness. She was a void of emotions, none of them forcing her this way and that way as they usually did. Instead, they were silent. They ignored her. Her mind was blank. Wiped clean. Nothing was there.

She knew there were people around her. Or at least some of them were people. The rest were aliens. Unknown, different. She ignored all of them. Though they stared at the destroyed computer, they dared not move. She didn't care. She was a useless being after all. Why should she care?

"Everyone, out," came a stern voice. "Now."

Ashley knew that voice, but it sounded so distant. She could hear the people shuffling their way around her. She heard the thudding of the elcor as he slowly made his way towards the door. She wondered if this is what all elcor felt like. Devoid of this thing called emotions. She also wondered if this was what Nirali felt like. Dead inside.

A shift of movement and Ashley made herself look at who was there. Sitting on a chair, leaning forward intently with one hand propping up his head, sat Commander John Shepard. The Hero of Eden Prime. The Champion of the Blitz. The Butcher of Torfan. The Survivor of Akuze.

For some reason, he pissed her off.

"What do you want?" Ashley asked slowly, her voice dripping with venom she didn't know she had within her. Shepard examined her with those sharp blue eyes of his.

"Answers," Shepard said simply.

"To what?" Ashley continued her interrogation.

"You," Shepard answered.

"Why?" Ashley lashed out quietly, holding on to whatever control she had. Shepard didn't answer. "Why do you want to know? Why do you care? You don't care about anyone! You hate everyone! You sit on top of your high horse and look down on all of us! It must be nice being so up high! So perfect! Living in your own perfect world!"

"I never said I was perfect," Shepard replied calmly.

"You sure as hell think it!" Ashley exclaimed. "That's why you didn't help that man in the hall! All he wanted was 20 credits! _20 credits_! But he was too beneath you, wasn't he? Just another piece of trash that needs to be taken out!"

Shepard wanted to say something, to defend himself. But Ashley needed to get rid of her anger and frustration. That much was certain. So he remained silent and let Ashley vent. For now, at least. He would answer her questions when it was needed.

"You just have _all_ the answers, don't you?" Ashley shouted. "You always know what to say and when to say it! You're eyes never miss a thing! You know someone's question before they ask it! You are just so perfect aren't you? _Aren't you? __**Aren't you!**_"

"No, I'm not," Shepard answered calmly.

"_**Shut up!**_" Ashley screamed. "_**Liar!**_ _**You're perfect and…**_" She hesitated, looking down at the ground.

"And you're not?" Shepard asked. At that moment, he knew he had found the problem. Or at least found the right path to the problem. He knew because she was furious.

She screamed. It was a strange sound, coming from a soldier. It wasn't a battle cry. It was a genuine scream of pain and frustration. Ashley grabbed a nearby chair and threw it at the wall, where it bounced off and onto the ground. She grabbed the pieces of the destroyed computer screen and threw them everywhere. She grabbed whatever else was near and threw them everywhere. Shepard scooted the chair back a bit. She needed plenty of room for this. She was a tornado, blowing herself this way and that, destroying whatever she could. Soon, though, there would be nothing left to destroy. Just herself.

And then she had stopped. She was on her knees, head bowed towards the ground and back towards Shepard. Shepard examined the room. It was good and destroyed. He guessed someone would have to pay for it. He was a Spectre, though. He was sure he could find a reason why this room was deemed a hazard to the galaxy, but that wasn't important now. He stood up and slowly made his way through the wreckage to Ashley.

Her shoulders were quivering. Hushed sobs were escaping from her. Shepard stopped and waited. Finally, she turned her head and, through choked gasps and tear filled eyes, whispered:

"Shepard. Help me."

Shepard examined her again, eyes filled with…sympathy? It seemed different on his face. Shepard sighed and held out his hand. Reluctantly and slowly, Ashley took it. When she tried to stand up, though, she collapsed into Shepard's arms, sobbing quietly into his chest. Shepard bit his lip. He wasn't used to women being this close to him. Hell, he wasn't used to _people_ being this close. Awkwardly, Shepard wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back. They stood there, silently, amidst the wreckage.

"If I'm going to help you, I need to know everything," Shepard said quietly. Ashley nodded. "So let's get out of here before C-Sec gets here. I don't feel like explaining this to everyone."

A short and soft laugh was forced from Ashley before they left.

\::/::\::/::\::/

"I met Nirali at the Fort Charles Upham training facility on Titan," Ashley said, seated comfortably and upright in the chair, her hands politely on her lap. Her eyes had a distant, hazy look. Shepard sat across from her, leaning back in his chair, arms crossed across his chest. He listened whole-heartedly as they sat in the diplomat's bar with a two glasses of water between them. Shepard's was for the headache, which was now a dull fire.

"We were both there for HEAT," Ashley continued. Shepard nodded, knowing about the Hostile Environment Assault Training. He himself had to go through it. "We were bunkmates and…at first we didn't really talk much. I was focused on my training and didn't really want to get to know her. But she had this…quality about her that made you want to listen whenever she talked. About anything. How her day was, the weather, her husband, her cooking. Soon enough, we were partners. Teammates. Comrades. On the outside, I guess, we were an odd pairing. She always had a smile on her face; I was always busy shooting dummy targets. But we just…worked. Soon enough, I thought of her as one of my sisters. She was family.

"I remember one time during combat practice. Paint-ball, really, but a little harsher. Instead of getting stung with paint, you were paralyzed wherever you were hit. So a shot to the arm would paralyze your arm. Shot to the chest would paralyze your body. It was just Nirali and I against the other team. The rest of our team was out of commission. Our designated company leader's fault really. He was too arrogant. He rushed himself and he paid for it, along with most of the team.

"We were outnumbered, but luckily, they hadn't taken our flank yet. But it was just a matter of time. I was about to face the facts right then and there. But Nirali just gave me this look. A look that said 'if you give up now, I'll never respect you again.' Well, I couldn't have that. We fought it out and eventually; I was able to lay a trap. We won. We won! I still couldn't believe it. I couldn't have done it without her. Nirali was always pushing me up to the top from the bottom.

"That was when our Drill Instructor, Ellison took notice. He was kind and reassuring. He recommended me for squad leader, which I got. I was flattered. He even put Nirali and I in the same squad. He said we worked well together. God, it all seems so obvious now."

Ashley put a hand to her face, resting it and closing her eyes. She shuddered at the thought. Shepard waited patiently for her to continue, ignoring the ache in his head.

"The day before graduation, I was walking back from the Mess Hall. Nirali had received a package from Samesh again so she went back to her bunk. Another audio recording. She loved to listen to his voice at night alone. As I was returning, I passed Ellison. Of course I saluted, but he just smiled back. His thumbs were in his belt. And he just smiled. He smiled! Like he just remembered something funny! And I just stood there, saluting like an idiot. He continued walking with that smile of his. I didn't think anything of it. I just let him go. I let him go.

"I entered the bunk house. It was dark, even with all the lights on. I remember just noting that it seemed a little…darker than before. Like someone had dimmed the lights. But there was no dimmer switch. And there was Nirali. I could tell she was naked, even with the cover on her. Just the way it clung to her body. She was still shivering too, even underneath the blanket.

"I went to her side and sat down. I could see then that she was crying, not shivering. I asked her what was wrong. I thought she had gotten a bad message from Samesh. Maybe he was breaking up with her. Or something. I put an hand on her arm to reassure her. It was so odd, I remember. She was sweaty, like she had been working out. It just…never crossed my mind what had really happened. It was just too impossible.

"I put my hand on her cheek. I remember I did that, because it felt odd. Sticky. And not the dried sweat kind of sticky. This was…different. I just sat there, wondering what it was. I took my hand back and something came off her cheek. It had color, I remember. White. White stickiness. I just sat there, staring. And then it all hit me like a sledgehammer to the head. All at once. I guess I had always known. I had known the minute I walked in that something was wrong, but had just covered it up. I didn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it. It was…I ignored my gut feeling to make myself feel comfortable. Nirali had been…she…she had been…"

Ashley couldn't finish the sentence. She put a hand to her mouth and covered it, forcing her words back down. She closed her eyes, trying to force the tears away. Shepard watched her contain her emotions for a moment. Then he reached over and gently took her hand in his. He leaned forward and down, looking up to her face, forcing her attention on him. His warm hands enclosed hers as he sympathetically looked into her eyes.

"Say it," Shepard said quietly. Ashley blinked. "You need to say it. For yourself." Ashley finally understood what he meant.

"She was raped," Ashley finally whispered.

"How did you feel?" Shepard asked quietly.

"Confused," Ashley admitted. "Just…so confused. I asked her what happened, though I already knew. She just sobbed and I held her. Despite how sticky she felt, I held her. I asked her who did it. I wanted to know. I _needed_ to know. But I already knew. It was _him_. That bastard. Our drill instructor with that smile of his. What was so goddamn funny? Huh? _What was so goddamn funny?_

"I wanted to kill him! I wanted to pick up my gun and put a bullet in his head! Scramble his brains! But… Nirali needed me. So I stayed. Calmed her down. Cleaned her up. And then we talked. We just talked. About her husband. How he was. What he said in the message. Soon, though, I got back to the topic at hand. We needed to tell someone. Internal Affairs, the police, whoever.

"But…she said no. She told me no. She kept saying no. She didn't want her husband to find out. No one was allowed to find out. She could never face her Samesh if he found out. She couldn't bear to look at herself any longer if anyone found out. No one was allowed to know. Only I was supposed to know. I refused at first. Someone had to find out. That fucker had to pay! He _had_ to!

"But she still said no. And what could I do? I…I just didn't know what to do. I…I didn't know what to say. She was right in front of me, sobbing and crying her eyes out. Saying how her husband must never find out. And I gave in. I promised her that no one would find out. You're the only person I've ever told about this.

"Soon, we left the camp and went to other assignments. Mostly groundside. And then Nirali was killed on Eden Prime. And they're holding her body for study. Samesh isn't allowed to have it. For the greater good, they said. Just the thought of…Nirali's body in the hands of that…_fucker_ just…"

Ashley didn't need to say anymore. Shepard understood the feeling well.

"I always thought there was something wrong with Ellison," Shepard admitted. "He seemed kind on the outside. But his mannerisms, how he held himself up, how he looked at you. It was like a child looking at toys. Goddammit, I never imagined he could do something like that."

"I'm sorry I got mad at you before," Ashley said. "Just seeing you being nice to…"

"I know, I know," Shepard said. "Don't get the wrong idea though. We aren't friends. We may act like it, but we're just being polite. He was my teacher after all. I had to show him _some_ respect."

"And now?" Ashley asked, sounding hopeful.

"Now we need to get the bastard," Shepard said, anger in his voice. Ashley smiled and nodded.

"How?" Ashley asked.

"I'll make him confess," Shepard said simply. "If that happens, he'll be discredited and the study will be cancelled. They'll let her body go back to Mr. Bhatia. I'll be discreet. All files on Spectres are classified, after all. Mr. Bhatia will never find out, just as Mrs. Bhatia wanted."

"That simple?" Ashley asked, sarcasm present in her voice.

"Always," Shepard said. He leaned back in his chair and let go of Ashley's hand. They sat there for a moment more before Shepard helped Ashley up. Together, they made their way to Major Harlan Ellison's office. Soon afterwards, Ashley didn't need Shepard's help in being held up. She stood straight on her own two feet with renewed vigor.

* * *

A reviewer once said that I don't sugar coat things. If something horrible is happening, I explain it to you in dark detail, where some would imply it and move on. I guess this I true. But sometimes, being subtle is more horrifying than going into explicit detail, as with when Ashley found the white stuff on Nirali. Do I really need to explain what that stuff is?

I, myself, love psychology. I think it's one of the most interesting subjects to research and learn about. I love the class I'm taking now (plus, my teacher was a comedian so its hilarious!) and that may be attributed to that entire brainwave segment. But, despite my interest, I have a lousy attention span. So if anything above is incorrect with the information about beta waves, alpha waves and whatever else, and this offends you as a psychologist, religious nut, or just someone who takes things too personally, hit me with a message.

My 360 decided to go E-74 on me while I was playing some Brütal Legend (or as I like to call it, "the RTS game disguised as a Third-Person Hack n' Slash"). I'm taking this as a sign that I should take a break from video games for a while and focus on more important things (life, nutrients, loved ones, and beer). Plus, it gives me a chance to read The Gathering Storm. *squeals like a little girl* This isn't a permanent thing, just a breather. I'll probably get around to fixing the box o' fun around the time Assassin's Creed 2 comes out. Or maybe when Dragon Age: Origins does. Whatever, you don't care.

And Requiem for a Dream…was just depressing…'nuff said.


	40. Chapter 31: An Insignia

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«4.05: The Citadel: Upper Wards: Apartment Complex»

«or An Insignia»

Major Harlan Ellison leaned back in his chair, eyes gleaming as he watched the young woman nervously undress, shivering in the dark. Not entirely dark. The light from the Ward Arms shown through the blinds, playing with the shadows. If he were to open them, he would be treated to a wondrous sight of the Serpent Nebula, as well as the Citadel and the city around him. He was pretty high up in the apartment complex and he could see mostly everything. It was a nearly 120-story high building and he was around floor 80, give or take a few. Everything was bigger and taller on the Citadel, he reminded himself.

The woman was certainly young, no older than 21 or 23. Still, she had a nice, firm body, much to Ellison's liking. The aliens that ran the escort service knew how to handle their business, he admitted to himself. Despite being aliens, he also reminded himself.

The young woman swayed her body left to right, moving her hands up her hips seductively. However, a slight jitter in her movements betrayed her nervousness. Understandable. No doubt it was her first time. Ellison didn't mind in the least. He preferred it when his women were genuine.

There was a ping on his Omni-Tool and Ellison turned to it. He smiled triumphantly as he saw the file finish downloading. Too easy! He thought that the defenses around these kinds of data would have been a whole lot tougher to crack! Though he did have help from a program that Saren gave him, he thought the Alliance computers would've put up more of a fight! That VI program that Saren developed…was almost scary! At least, Ellison preferred to think of it as Virtual Intelligence.

Ellison pressed a button and the files began encrypting themselves. It would take about an hour or so. Plenty of time to finish with this woman, he knew. Plenty of time.

"Please turn around and bend over," Ellison said softly but forcefully. The young woman moved her hips as she turned around and bent down, touching her feet and exposing herself further to his gleaming eyes. Ellison smiled as he saw her opening, quivering in the cold room. Like a shop owner checking his merchandise, Ellison reached forward and used his hand and fingers to feel the texture and warmth. He ignored the shiver of the young woman as he forced his hand just a little deeper. Good, she wasn't a virgin.

"How're you feeling?" Ellison asked, not really caring. He began to run his fingers across her naked back, twirling some of her hair in his hand. It smelled like roses.

"Well enough, honey," the young woman said playfully, yet cautiously. He guessed that he gave off a creepy vibe. He didn't mind at all, because he knew he was just that way.

"Shall we start?" Ellison asked, a smirk forming on his lips.

Smiling nervously, the young woman slowly went to her hands and knees and crawled to Ellison's feet. She slowly slid her hands up his pants legs, feeling the cotton texture between her fingers, sending shivers down her spine. She began to unzip his pants and-

A buzz from his doorbell disrupted his calm.

"Goddammit," Ellison muttered. "Just ignore it, baby." The young woman smiled playfully and ran her teeth over his-

A buzz from his doorbell, this time followed by another.

"_Shit!_" Ellison exclaimed angrily. "Hang on."

The got up and went to the door. He pressed a button and a vid came up, revealing who was at the door.

Commander John Shepard.

Ellison was taken aback. Why in hell was Shepard here? Did they have a meeting? Were they supposed to talk? Did he know about the program?

Ellison calmed himself down with several deep breaths. He pressed another button.

"Shepard?" Ellison said calmly. "What do you want?"

"I need to talk to you about something," Shepard said. "Concerning one of my team members. And a certain project you're running."

Ellison paused for a second. He could turn him away; tell him he was busy (which he was). But then he thought just a little bit more. When was he going to have a chance to talk with the first human Spectre one on one? He played his cards right, he might learn something valuable. The possibilities ran through his mind with excitement. He giggled.

"Sir? Should I leave?"

Ellison spun around on her. He had nearly forgotten about her. What to do about her, a call girl? She couldn't leave from the front door, lest he lose credibility and face an indictment with the Alliance Brass. He also couldn't hide her in the back. That Shepard had senses better than a hound, sometimes. He thought of something quick and went with it.

"How much do you weigh?"

"About 140, 150. Why?" the young woman asked innocently.

After Ellison tossed her out the window, he threw her clothes after her. He barely heard her scream as she flailed her way down like a fish. He wanted to watch her fall but he figured he wouldn't be able to see her hit the ground, anyways, so high up was he. Sighing, he grabbed a can of beer and went to answer the door.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Shepard waited patiently at the door, the epitome of calm. Inside, however, he was a raging torrent of anger. He could almost feel the disgust pouring out with every breath. He couldn't abide with people who forced themselves on others. It struck too close to home and to him, they all deserved to die.

His anger didn't stem from Nirali Bhatia's treatment. That was only part of it. He didn't know Nirali well enough to generate this amount of emotion, though he did empathize her pain. Her honor and very identity was stripped away by this lunatic. No, that wasn't the main reason for his almost irrational anger.

It was Ashley. Shepard hated how pained she was and how angry she was. She looked so defeated and helpless. She wasn't supposed to be like that. She was supposed to be the strong one.

Shepard clenched his fists, feeling the urge to beat something rising. But he forced himself to release it. This wasn't the time for action. He had to be calm if he wanted to garner enough information from Ellison about the incident. He had to be deft when dealing with this kind of thing. Talk about it outright, and Ellison would stop talking all together.

Hopefully, the good major had alcohol of some kind.

He looked over to his right, where behind the corner, Ashley stood waiting with the listening piece that was transmitted from the recording device in Shepard's Omni-Tool. She had wanted to come along, which was understandable. However, if she had seen Ellison at that moment, Shepard had no doubt that she would probably kill him and that wouldn't help anyone. No, she had to stay behind and sit this one out. Shepard could handle this.

The door slid open.

"Evening, Shepard, my boy!" Ellison exclaimed with exuberance. Shepard noticed that Ellison ushered him in with almost too much enthusiasm. Odd.

"Evening, Major," Shepard answered as he walked in. "I'm sorry for seeing you at this time of night."

"No problem!" Ellison again exclaimed with too much excitement. Shepard walked into the apartment and took a seat on the couch. He thought he smelled perfume of some kind but he ignored it. It probably wasn't important enough. Other than the smell, the apartment complex was very neat and tidy, much more than the apartment Hannah and he shared on the Arcturus Station. However, to Shepard it seemed…too clean. Knowing what Ellison was, it unnerved him just how orderly the place was. He couldn't imagine how someone with a mind as twisted as Ellison's could keep his place so…spotless. The contrast unnerved him slightly. His head pounded softly.

"So," Ellison said, sitting down. "What brings you into my fine abode?"

"I wanted to talk about Private Nirali Bhatia," Shepard said bluntly. The corner of Ellison's mouth twitched slightly but he recovered.

"I see that Chief Williams as talked to you about our little…talk, before," Ellison said, taking a sip of his beer.

"Words were exchanged," Shepard said, shrugging. Ellison nodded silently.

"And what?" Ellison asked. "You're here on her behalf? To try and convince me that Bhatia should be given back to her husband for burial? Over something as trivial as her last rites?"

"I wouldn't call them trivial," Shepard said, keeping his voice calm. The headache didn't help.

"In the eyes of the universe, they're trivial," Ellison snorted. "In the eyes of _life_, these burials, these last rites, are utterly pointless. The woman's already dead, she doesn't care anymore."

"Mr. Bhatia cares," Shepard said.

"You could see it that way," Ellison said. "The way I see it, that little man is just trying to console his own feelings and grief by burying the thing that's causing it. But he doesn't think of it that way because it would seem 'selfish' in the eyes of society and god forbid we can't have that!"

"And what's wrong with trying to move on?" Shepard asked. "This is just about one soldier's last request to be buried. You have dozens of bodies in the test, maybe more. And you're not going to let her go just because she just happens to be the one that's more shot to hell? If you combine all the other bodies together, I guarantee that you'll get the same results as if you had researched only Bhatia's body."

"I'm not going to turn over her body just because one person is having separation issues," Ellison said dismissively. "I'm doing this for the protection and safety of human colonies _everywhere_. Or have you forgotten that armies of synthetics are invading us? Knowledge is power. Know your enemy and you will always win. This research will let us understand the geth and will allow us to completely annihilate them!"

"At the cost of our own humanity?" Shepard asked. "Should we impale our dead on dragon's teeth and suck the life out of them?" The image on Eden Prime flashed into his head. Of a certain farmer impaled on a spike, crying for his mother. But in a second, the headache destroyed the image. Was it getting worse?

Ellison leaned back in his chair and looked at Shepard, quizzically.

"Well," Ellison scoffed. "You've changed, old sport."

Shepard narrowed his eyes quizzically.

"I remember the first time you stood before me at attention," Ellison said, swishing the contents of his beer around. "With that indifferent look on your face. You looked like you were bored out of your mind. And no amount of me screaming in your face would ever faze you. I was nearly hoarse by the end of the day but you just stood there, without a care in the world."

"I was different then," Shepard agreed.

"You didn't give a shit about anything back then," Ellison said. "Not me, not your fellow teammates. Not even your own life. Sure, you were kind when you needed to be. You were tough when you needed to be. You followed orders when you needed to. But I knew that you were just acting the part. You didn't really care about any of that. Hell, I didn't even know why you joined the Alliance Military in the first place.

"But you were the best damn soldier I had ever seen. Every shot was precise, every move was calculated. You were a natural leader and a natural warrior. The kind that only comes once in a millennia. It was a no-brainer when I requested you be sent for N7 training. Of course, you anti-social behavior was cause for concern. Some thought you lacked any sense of the camaraderie the Alliance 'stood for.' Bullshit. You just scared them. But we needed your cold-blooded attitude. That 'no-remorse' attitude. Hell, it worked out okay, I think. You even made some friends, if you could call them that."

Ellison chuckled and Shepard wanted nothing more than to spill his blood all over the carpet.

"You're point?" Shepard asked, forcing his killing intent down.

"You were a killer," Ellison explained. "The kind of killer that a soldier was expected to be. Not one of those sorry saps that cry over every kill they make. Not the kind that allow their guilt to take over them and turn them into a bunch of blubbering babies. No, you were the perfect soldier. The one without remorse. Without guilt. The one who could look at a man in the face, say he's going to murder him and do so without a single change in tone."

"You make me sound like a sociopath," Shepard noted.

"For this line of work, you almost have to be," Ellison said. "And you were. Naturally. You were so devoid of emotion that you could be the killer this Alliance needed. And now. Now. You come to me asking to release the body of some woman you've never met before because some girl has hard feelings? A weak soldier who can't get over the fact that her best friend is dead. And you, the stone cold killer, is wasting his time to ease her mind? Now, excuse my French, but what the fuck happened?"

Shepard merely stared at him, his head throbbing slightly. He knew that as she listened, Ashley felt her jaw tighten and a surge of anger filling her very soul. He prayed that she would control herself just a little while longer.

"Time has a tendency to change things, Major," Shepard said simply.

"I guess so," Ellison said scornfully, shaking his head. "For better or for worse."

He took another deep drink from his can of beer and shook it. It was good and empty.

"Can I interest you in a drink?" Ellison asked.

"Water, please. I've got this headache that doesn't seem to want to go away," Shepard said.

"Pansy," Ellison snorted again before getting up and disappearing into the next room.

Shepard sat there for a moment, rubbing his temple. It was still too early to tell if he was making any progress but he felt like he was getting somewhere. He still needed evidence of some kind to prove Ellison did…what he did. With the main witness gone, he needed to hear it from Ellison's own mouth. Thinking about it now, he still wasn't sure if he could pull it off. It seemed almost impossible and just…unnecessary almost. Still, Ashley needed his help.

Did she? Shepard couldn't know. He was still trying to figure out what Ashley was to him. A friend? Or something more? Regardless, he would help her. The 'why' could come later.

Why did the room smell like roses?

Curious, Shepard stood up and began to walk around the room, trying to ascertain the source of the smell. It was too potent and too sweet so it had to be from a perfume of some kind. So did Ellison have a woman in here before him? If so, where was she now?

He moved to the dresser and something caught his eye. It was something shiny, hidden away inside a drawer that was open slightly. Shepard turned his head and saw that Ellison was still trying to get the drinks ready. Shepard slowly and quietly pulled the drawer open.

What he saw made his breath catch and his eyes widen.

He stood there for a moment, just staring at the object. His mind slowly began to move as implications and possibilities began to form. If any of them were right…

This was bad.

Quickly, he grabbed the object and pocketed it, griping it like it held his thread of life together. He moved to the nearby window and gazed out the window at the Ward arms. He felt his duty as a Spectre take over.

"Ashley," he whispered, hoping she could hear. "I'm sorry. Something has come up. Listen and wait."

"You say something, boy?" Ellison asked.

"No, just enjoying the view," Shepard lied, forcing his grip around the object to lighten.

"Yeah, it's pretty astounding, huh?" Ellison chuckled. "Yeah, I know that I only have this apartment rented out for as long as the Alliance needs me to be on the Citadel. But, I think I could do worse." Ellison handed a glass of water to Shepard, who accepted it with his free hand and forcing a smile. In silence, they stared out at the bright darkness that was the nebula, both brilliantly reflective as the light from the Citadel played with the dust surrounding it, yet immensely dark as the same dust kept light from coming in. Both magnificent and suffocating. A paradox of duality.

"Say, major," Shepard began. "You served during First Contact, right?"

"Mm," Ellison nodded. "I was a Private then. Fun times, if I do say so myself."

"I have to ask," Shepard said. "You don't like aliens, do you?"

Ellison stared out at the window for a moment longer. He turned, then, and moved to a nearby dresser. It had glasses and such of different kinds of alcohol. He grabbed a glass and began dropping ice cubes into it.

"You know I'm a member of the Terra Firma party," Ellison stated. "Do you need to ask? If I had my way, this entire Citadel would be nuked."

"And the turians?" Shepard asked, though he knew the answer already.

"Fuck 'em all," Ellison said. "They hit us without warning, without provocation and for what? For attempting to turn on a Mass Relay? All they needed to do was appear before us and talk to us. They didn't need to blast us into oblivion! Those turian scumbags proved who they were the minute they showed us their scaly faces to us. I'm still speechless that the Normandy was built with help from those reptiles. So, to answer your question. I do not trust anything with skin that is not some shade of brown, or with less or more than five fingers on each hand. Honestly, they are still the enemy. If I were given an order to shoot a baby turian in the stomach, I wouldn't even call it out for the illegal order that it was. I'd do it in a heartbeat. Does that answer your question?"

"Little tipsy, are we?" Shepard asked. Ellison threw his head back and laughed.

"I guess so," Ellison exclaimed. He grabbed a bottle of bourbon and began to unscrew the top.

"One more question before I join you," Shepard said, firmly setting his jaw. "Why does a man such as you, a man who wholeheartedly hates turians with every fiber of his body, have a turian insignia hiding in his sock drawer?"

Ellison froze. Shepard felt the insignia's sharp edges bite into his palm as he squeezed it.

"And why is the insignia from Rocam Outpost?" Shepard continued, the tone in his voice becoming firmer. "The same outpost that Saren Arterius was born and raised?" Shepard turned around and tossed the insignia onto the table. It clicked and slid across, shining with the light from outside.

Ellison was frozen in place, his hands gripping the bottle. Slowly, he unscrewed the top and poured a small bit of the bourbon into his glass. He put the bottle down with a soft bang and grabbed the glass. He threw his head back and drank the entire thing, allowing it to slide down his throat with ease. He slammed the glass down onto the table so hard, Shepard thought it would shatter.

"I knew I should of hidden that thing better," Ellison muttered. He chuckled. "But I guess I really wanted to be found out."

"How long have you been a lackey of Saren?" Shepard asked angrily.

"Since before Eden Prime, boy," Ellison said. He turned and began to circle the room, slowly and methodically, like he was taking stock of his room. Shepard kept him in front of him, ready for anything. "He came to me about a year ago, telling me that he had some grand scheme of advancing the races of the universe forward beyond even the Protheans. Being a turian and a spectre, I almost ignored him. But…he has a way to make a rock listen to him. And agree with him. So I joined on his crew. It was simple. I give Saren as much information on the Systems Alliance as I can get my hands on and in return, Saren promises humanity a seat in his…New World Order thingy. I didn't really care."

"Didn't really care?" Shepard asked incredulously. "Then why did you join him? Why did you willingly betray everything that you had worked for to that lunatic!"

"It's easy to call him a lunatic, don't you think?" Ellison said, smiling softly. "He's cold. He's methodical. He's ruthless. He'll do anything to accomplish his goals. In a way, he's you. He's everything you are. So by your definition, you are a lunatic as well! Do you find that odd? So tell me, Shepard boy. Why are you fighting him?"

Shepard clenched his fists and relaxed them, popping his knuckles both times. Cautiously, he moved away from the window, prepared for anything.

"I doubt you even know," Ellison muttered. "And I guess, you don't really care. Why should you? You're finally fighting against someone…or some_thing_, considering the turian…of your own caliber. He's your equal. Why should you care?"

"You have anything else to say before I beat you to a bloody pulp? Any more justifications?" Shepard said, taking a step forward, his back to the door. Ellison moved to the couch and stared at the wall, his right shoulder facing Shepard.

"How did you feel when you shot Major Troy in the head?" Ellison asked. Shepard was almost taken aback by the strangeness of the question.

"What do you mean?" Shepard asked.

"Well? How did you feel?" Ellison clarified. "Happy? Sad? It's a simple question. And please, be honest." Shepard stared at the man, who seemed to politely wait for an answer.

"Satisfied," Shepard answered.

"Why?" Ellison asked.

"Because he deserved it," Shepard answered again. "Why?"

"I was sad when he died," Ellison admitted. "Such a great man."

"What?" Shepard muttered in disbelief.

"He had the right idea, you know," Ellison said. "To become the kind of man people will remember forever. He just didn't go far enough. He thought that people would only remember the people who are great or who do great things. This is true in theory, but honestly, who remembers Mother Theresa and all the supposedly wonderful things she's done? Sure, she helped a bunch of people, but the only people who remember her in this day in age are the kids in history class and even then, she's a footnote of a footnote. No, people will only remember the things that are…different. People remember the murderers, the serial killers, the rapists, the men and sometimes women who spend their very existence carving out a place in the minds of every man and woman in the universe. Why? Because it is horrifying. Because it terrifies the people. Terror has a way of gripping the mind and never letting go. Horror has a way of forcing itself into history. And I guess, the easiest way to enter those minds, short of killing a hospital of newborn babies, would be to betray my home planet to be massacred by an alien force. Like I said, Troy had the right idea. He just didn't have the balls to go further. So, to answer you question. Why did I join Saren? Because I want to live forever. Plain and simple."

Shepard said nothing. He didn't know what to say. Why would anyone go to such lengths? It made no sense. They were willing to betray everything it meant to be human just to be remembered by a bunch of idiots who probably didn't deserve their memory? Why?

"You're probably wondering why I yammered on and on," Ellison said.

"You're one of those old geezers that drone on and on about how when they were younger they didn't have this and this and whatever?" Shepard shot at him.

"Always quick with a joke," Ellison chuckled. "No. It's because you didn't notice that when I left the room, I entered the room again with a grenade in my pocket. And I've been wondering if I should use it now."

\::/::\::/::\::/

Ashley stood beside the door, pistol in her hand and by her head. Ready to jump in if anything went wrong. Shepard had asked her to wait and she intended to do so. Regardless, she had wanted to jump in and murder the man as soon as she had heard. Ellison? A traitor? It was…almost too much. They had come here to convict a rapist, not arrest a traitor. It was odd, but for some reason, Ashley never thought Ellison was capable of betraying his allegiances. He was capable of many things, but…it just didn't seem possible.

Or maybe that was just how unprepared she was for this.

She stood in the space between the door and the railing. Beyond the railing were the scaling and bustling heights of the Citadel. The drop was…almost immeasurable in her mind but she guessed it was quite a way. She guessed there was also some kind of kinetic barrier stopping people from jumping off the railing after walking out of their rooms, but she couldn't see it.

A noise of movement from within.

Ashley raised her gun and pointed it at the door, just in case. And the door exploded.

Debris was thrown everywhere along with the heat of the explosion. The force of the shockwave threw Ashley back down the pathway away from the door, sucking the air out of her lungs. Her eyes caught something as she was in the air. Out of all the things she saw, she saw this the most.

The figure of John Shepard being blown through the door amidst the debris. She watched as John Shepard's body hit the kinetic barrier above the railing. But the force of the explosion was too much.

The kinetic barrier shattered and Ashley lost sight of him as he disappeared beyond the railing.

Ashley was sure that something broke within her as she hit the ground. She continued to roll as the debris hit the ground around her. She stopped rolling with her face down on the ground. Her eyes were wide with shock and her breath was nearly gone. She couldn't comprehend what she just saw. John. John.

Slowly, Ashley pushed herself up and forced herself to look behind her.

And standing in the blasted doorway was Ellison, with a terrible smile on his face.

"Didn't think it'd be that easy," Ellison muttered. He turned and saw Ashley on the ground. "Oh! Williams! Didn't know you were here, though I can't say I'm surprised."

Ashley raised her gun and fired. Ellison instinctively moved his head, but the bullet tore into Ellison's cheek and opened his teeth to the world. His eyes widened in shock.

"Surprise," Ashley muttered flatly and prepared to fire again. But Ellison was fast. He ran to Ashley and grabbed the gun, tearing it from her hand. With his other hand, he grabbed the back of her head and slammed his knee into her face. His face was contorted into a look of pure rage.

"_**hYou stupid! Fhucking! Bhitch!**_" He screamed, blood drooling down his open cheek and down his neck. He grabbed the gun and smacked her in the head with its butt. He was sure he felt her skull shatter underneath the blow. He was glad. Glad!

Breathing heavily, Ellison dropped the gun and looked around. Debris, blackened scorch marks, blood and a body. A nice way to end any day. Except for the wound in his face. He put a hand to the cheek to stem the bleeding.

He looked down at his hand and saw the insignia. Gripping it tightly, he ran down the pathway. He had to contact Saren and tell him what happened. He left the carnage behind him.

* * *

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! …cliffhanger…

I think it's no secret that I like to put a little philosophy into my fanfic. I love it when people debate different topics, be it ethics or debating whether 2012 was any good. As a species we are the same but as individuals, each and every one of us are completely different. We all live differently and we all rationalize our decisions differently. Take the conversation between Ellison and Shepard. Both are in the right. I guarantee that some of you out there agree with Ellison while others agree with Shepard (or at least, I hope so). But since Shepard's the good guy (or at least, he's supposed to be), you are more than likely rooting for him.

Personally, I would never desecrate another person's body for something such as research. Can't tell you why, really. I just feel that it is wrong in my gut. And my gut feelings have never really led me astray. Yet, at least.

I'm taking some obvious creative license when I say that Saren is from Rocam Outpost. It is never stated where he comes from so I just chose one from a list of where you find turian insignias in the game.

Oh, and read Questionable Content. It is amazing. That is all.


	41. Chapter 32: Secret Room

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«4.06: The Citadel: Upper Wards: Apartment Complex»

«or Secret Room»

"You're probably wondering why I yammered on and on," Ellison said.

"You're one of those old geezers that drone on and on about how when they were younger they didn't have this and this and whatever?" Shepard shot at him.

"Always quick with a joke," Ellison chuckled. "No. It's because you didn't notice that when I left the room, I entered the room again with a grenade in my pocket. And I've been wondering if I should use it now."

Shepard's eyes widened and he shifted his feet, moving without thinking. His hand instinctively went to the gun at his side…that was not there. He remembered now that he did not have it on him when he entered the room. He remembered that it would make him look less hostile to Ellison.

Ellison turned quickly but smoothly, the grenade shining evilly in his hand. It was a disk-like device that was small and held easily in ones hand. He pressed a button and fins shot out of the disk, meant to stabilize it as it soared through the air. As the fins appeared, the grenade began to beep repeatedly.

Shepard pushed himself forward, hoping to catch Ellison before he threw the device. His hand was at his other hip, where his knife was hidden.

Ellison threw the grenade, his arm making a wide curve. The grenade reflected the light of the Citadel, tracing the pathway through the air with a long white line.

Shepard slid back, instinctively away from it. His hand shot up into the path of the grenade, which spun wildly like a discus. It inched nearer and nearer, something so small and yet so full of death.

Ellison seemed to smile cruelly as the grenade neared Shepard. Shepard stared intently on the grenade, his hand and his reflexes working to intercept the grenade. He didn't know what he would do with it if he did manage to swat it away. His migraine was making it impossible to think.

The grenade flew closer to his hand and his hand went closer to the grenade. He could almost touch it with his fingertips. Then many things happened at once that would seem even stranger.

A static charge jumped from his finger to the grenade, the migraine made his head felt like it had exploded and a green-tinted barrier appeared around his body.

The grenade exploded, hitting the biotic barrier and his body with a force that knocked the wind out of him. There was a burning sensation and another sensation of movement. Then his vision faded to pure white.

His eyes opened. He was lying on grass. It was soft, like a bed mattress. The steady breeze was cool and caressing, like a mother's touch. He blinked several times, trying to comprehend what was going on. He couldn't. It was too quiet. So quiet but it wasn't maddening. It was a calm silence. A peaceful silence.

John pushed himself up slowly, the world turning ninety degrees to being fully upright. He found that he was in a room of red stone, though it wasn't fully enclosed. The bright yellow sunlight shown down from above, giving the room a peaceful glow that quieted his heart. Small droplets of the light seem to float through the air, softly dancing on the wind.

Then John saw it. Standing tall and powerful in the center of the room was a large oak tree. The branches were long and tough as it stood, its arms sheltering and kind. The leaves were not green, but a much kinder color, which was a mixture of golden brown and brilliant red, which was only intensified by the power of the sun.

John stared with wide-eyes at the sight.

"I know this place," John whispered, breathless.

"This is where you buried me," came a voice from behind. John spun around and his breath caught.

A 10-year-old Jane stood across the room from him, hands behind her back. She wore her favorite kind of clothing, a combination of loose fit jeans and a tight t-shirt. Her hair was cut at the same length as he remembered and her eyes were still as green as he remembered. And her smile was still as radiant as ever.

John stared at her and he was 10 years old again, his body frail and thin. His hair was dark and covering his eyes like he always liked, and his eyes were an even brighter shade of blue. Slowly, he pushed himself up onto his 10-year-old feet, wearing what he always wore on Earth, a combination of jeans, a t-shirt and a jacket that was just a little too big for his small stature.

"Jane?" John whispered in disbelief.

Jane only smiled warmly.

"Is that really you?" John asked, a little louder.

Jane only smiled warmly and shrugged. Maybe.

"Am I dead?" John asked her.

Jane only smiled warmly and shook her head. John smiled with joy and elation, tears beginning to drop from his young face.

"I missed you," John told her.

Jane only smiled and nodded. She knew.

"Can't you say something?" John asked, almost desperately.

Jane only smiled and shook her head.

"Why not?" John asked, taking a step forward.

Jane pointed at John and then at her ear.

"I can't hear you?" John clarified.

Jane only smiled and nodded. She mouthed a word that may have looked like 'yet,' but he couldn't be sure.

"Jane…" John whispered, taking another step forward.

He felt something dig into his ankle. John looked down, confused. It was a hook, digging viciously into his ankle.

Jane's smile faded slowly and turned into a sorrowful frown. John turned, following the dirty and bloody link that disappeared into a black abyss forming behind him. In the center of the abyss stood Jane.

She was naked and covered in blood.

John stood, transfixed by the sight. It dripped down her body like water dripped off the trees. So natural looking, yet it gripped the very depths of his soul. John turned around and looked at the Jane whose smile had been radiant. Now, it was a frown of pure sorrow and sadness.

"Why did you do it, John?" whispered the bloody Jane. John turned as more chains and hooks wrapped themselves around him, digging into his skin and exposing his blood to the world.

"Why didn't you save me?" the bloody Jane asked, blood spurting from her mouth. Her nose was a fountain of it as it traced the features of her face. And her once beautiful green eyes were ripe with blood. Just blood. Blood surrounding him.

The chains and hooks dragged John forward, his feet digging into the once pure ground. He struggled of course. He tore away, trying to run towards the one with the radiant smile. The chains and hooks ripped into his skin and flesh, forcing him away from the light. The Jane with the once radiant smile only looked at him with sorrow. He had no strength left. His strength came from that radiant smile and she was smiling no more. He could not resist. Forward, onward into the black abyss. Soon, he was enveloped in it. It seeped into his pores, into his eyes, into his nose. Soon, he was the black abyss. And surrounding him, that same answerless question.

"Why didn't you save me?"

Blackness. Utter blackness.

Groggily, Shepard opened his eyes and the Citadel was displayed before him. His head felt like it had been split open. He felt like he had been blasted through a door. Then he realized that he was dangling by his fingertips above what seemed like a thousand foot drop. Somehow, through his unconsciousness, he had managed to grab the railing. And now he was slipping.

Without thought, he shot his other hand upwards and grabbed the edge of the railing, pulling himself upwards with what little strength he had. His head felt like a bomb had exploded from within. The word 'headache' couldn't describe the pain. The word 'migraine' couldn't describe the pain.

Painfully and slowly, he pulled himself over the railing, trying to catch his breath. He fell over the railing and onto the floor with a thud. He coughed for air, trying to get his orientation back. Slowly, his heart rate dropped and he felt life returning to him. But the memory of the dream stuck with him. Jane. Blackness. The tree.

"That was trippy," Shepard muttered.

Ignoring the debris, he rolled over and pushed himself up onto his feet. Waves of dizziness washed over him and he staggered onto the railing. The waves pumped into his head, adding more to the migraine that was much, much more than a migraine. He wobbled on his feet, fighting to stay upright. Shepard rubbed his temple as he moved to Ashley's still body.

"Williams!" Shepard exclaimed, rubbing his head. He quickly walked to her side and took her shoulders. Gently, he held her up and wrapped his arm around her, supporting her weight. Her face was covered in blood, but he knew that it only looked worse than it actually was. Most of it was from her nose, which had a cut across the bridge. Shepard gingerly brushed her hair from her face and looked intently at her, looking for signs of consciousness.

She scrunched her nose and groaned, opening her eyes to the world.

"Morning, sunshine," Shepard said. "Sleep well?"

"My head feels like it's been split open," Ashley groaned.

"Tell me about it," Shepard murmured.

"Ellison!" Ashley forced herself up with Shepard's help.

"Easy, Williams. Don't need you dying on me," Shepard hushed her.

"I tried to stop him but he…" Ashley whispered, rubbing her head.

"He's a fast, old bugger," Shepard said. "But he's impulsive. And easily read…he'll be trying to find a way off the station now…god, how does Kaidan deal with this?" Ashley blinked at the last comment, realizing that despite the tough shield Shepard put up, he was actually in pain. What kind of pain, though, she didn't know. It was probably something with his head.

"Did you see where he went?" Shepard asked her.

"No, I didn't," Ashley said. Shepard swore, rubbed his temples and turned on his Omni-Tool. Taking an earpiece, he turned on the radio, connecting him to the other members of his team.

"Garrus! You there?" Shepard said into the receiver. "Come in! Pick up the goddamn receiver or I swear to _God_! I will tear off your-!"

"_What? What? I'm here!_" Garrus stammered, his voice crackling through the static.

"Garrus, we've got a situation," Shepard said. "Major Harlan Ellison of the Systems Alliance Military is a traitor working for Saren. I need you to call C-Sec and have them track all traffic for his profile. I'll get in touch with Anderson and he'll send the photos of him to C-Sec."

"_On it,_" Garrus said stoutly, without asking any questions. "_But I've got to say, the Citadel's way to big to be tracing just one man without any leads, even with the retinal scanners in place._"

"Shepard," Ashley cut in. "Ellison has my pistol." Shepard stared at her for a moment, confused. Then realization dawned on him.

"Garrus, have them trace a serial number," Shepard relayed. "He'll be passing through all kinds of weapon scanners wherever he's going. All Alliance Military weaponry has a tracking beacon for safety purposes."

"_If we have the serial number, we can find the signal emanating from the beacon,_" Garrus caught on. "_It'll make it much easier._"

"The serial number is A97 – 0081," Ashley recited from memory.

"Serial number. Alpha, niner, seven, dash, zero, zero, eight, one," Shepard relayed back to Garrus.

There was a pause.

"_Okay, alpha means 'A,' right?_" Garrus asked, unsure.

"_Garrus!_" shouted Tali in the background.

"_I'm sorry!"_ Garrus exclaimed. "_The turian's use a different system for naming their letters. And considering we have 15 more letters than Standard English-!"_

"Yes! Alpha means A!" Shepard shouted.

"_Okay, I got it,"_ Garrus said_. "I'll contact C-Sec, but it'll take some time to go through the proper procedures and crap. You'll be better off starting the search on your own."_

"We're going to try to get in contact with Anderson," Shepard said. "Notify me if there's any progress."

"_Will do,"_ Garrus said again before turning off the comms.

"Let's go," Shepard stated before walking on. Ashley followed closely behind. "I need you to get in contact with Kaidan, Wrex and Liara. Tell them what's happened. Also notify Pressly with the details."

As they continued to walk, Ashley busied herself with her duties. The soldier within her was awakening again as she renewed herself with a sense of purpose.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Ellison walked slowly down the alleyway, out of sight from everyone else. With a bleeding cheek, he didn't want or need any attention he might get. If a gunshot wound was in any injury that meant C-Sec would become involved and he didn't feel like going down, guns blazing when they cornered him. So he stuck to the alleys. The dirty alleys.

"Fhucking bitch," Ellison muttered, blood sputtering out through the gash in his cheek, giving him a partial Glasgow smile. He tried to gingerly hold his hand to the gash in an attempt to keep the blood in, but that didn't work so well. So now, he just let it flow freely. If he died, he died. Simple as that.

Simple.

For some reason, when he thought of death, Harlan shuddered.

Shaking himself back to reality (spraying blood on the walls), Ellison took the silver, turian insignia and held it in his hand, examining its features. He pressed the center button and it began to do its work. A few seconds later, a small, orange hologram of Saren appeared before him.

"You look like shit, Major," Saren said, amused. He was reclined in a metallic chair, an open book on his lap, legs crossed.

"Shut the fhuck up-h, t-hurian," Ellison shot at him. "Whe've got a hroblem."

"What now?" Saren asked, hardly interested. "Have you gotten the files I asked for?"

"I'm encrypting them as we spweak," Ellison replied. "But that's not the hroblem. Shep-herd knows about mwe and he's coming to get mwe."

"Your cover's been blown?" Saren asked, not caring and turning the page.

"Yes," Ellison nodded.

"How long until the files are encrypted completely?" Saren asked.

"About a half an hour," Ellison replied. Saren tapped his knee thoughtfully, staring at his book. He turned the page casually.

"What, exactly, do you want me to do?" Saren asked him, reproach in his eyes. "You're cover's been blown, you're on the run from the last person you should be on the run from and you're all the way back on the Citadel. Why should I bother to help you get out of this?"

"hYou need this hfile," Ellison replied angrily, blood and saliva drooling down is chin. "hFor your little war. You don't expect to take on the entire hplanet Earth, do you? Even with all the geth you haveh, you can't even enter the system without getting blown apart. Not without what I have."

"True," Saren admitted, turning the next page nonchalantly. "Even with all the geth I have, the minute Earth's attacked, every Alliance ship in the fleet will be there before you can blink. But you forget, human. I have…other allies. Or…I will soon enough."

"What?" Ellison asked.

"There are forces at play in this game that have yet to be revealed, human," Saren replied. "Forces…beyond the rim of this galaxy. Forces even older than the Protheans. Against them, not even the Citadel stands a chance. And believe me. They don't need your defense codes to obliterate your home planet." Ellison stared at him, mouth agape (a bit larger than normal).

"If that's true," Ellison said, huskily. "Then why did you send mwe here?"

"I needed information on Shepard," Saren said, turning another page in his book. "Where he was, where he was going. But my real interest was in his personal files. Where he was born. His upbringing. Know your enemy, as one of you humans put it. And I thank you for giving me that. Truly. But in all actuality, that's all I needed you to do."

"You fhucking turian!" Ellison exclaimed, spurting saliva out. "Why didn't you bring mwe back!" Saren turned a page in his book before looking up at Ellison.

"Because you are the most useless man on my team," Saren spoke slowly and calmly. "You have served your purpose, but you still want to be part of the big plan. What, do you seek glory? If you had any more uses, I would happily give it to you, despite your…human disadvantage. But, sadly, you are like a blinding light turned on during the day. Wasteful and useless. You are no longer needed. Now go off and die in whatever manner you deem most suited. Or don't. I really couldn't care any less."

"What if tell them m'all about you?" Ellison threatened.

"Go ahead," Saren said absently. "I enjoy challenges. But I'm curious, human. Do you actually think you can threaten me? Do you actually think you can do any harm to me? You have yet to realize that you are an ant. An insignificant grain of sand floating in the void of space. Brushed aside by those who actually matter. Is that why you joined me? In hopes that you will become more than you already are? Tough luck, human. Wasn't meant to be. You will die like all the rest of them. Got it? Good. Now go crawl into a ditch and wait for your doom."

Saren turned a page in the book.

"You know? They say that death is like falling asleep. If that's true…what was that saying you humans had? Ah yes. 'Don't let the bedbugs bite.'"

The image flickered and died, leaving Ellison alone, eyes wide with shock. Why? That was the question. Why was he surprised? He was a turian, after all. They couldn't be trusted.

Death. Again, Ellison shuddered and grasped for the wall. He needed to balance himself; his world was spinning. Why? Why did he care? He was a soldier. He needed to move on. Move forward. Why was he hesitating?

He chuckled. The chuckle turned into a soft laugh. That grew louder over time. Then he was howling with laughter, head thrown back into the air, letting the gash in his cheek grow as he opened his mouth as wide as he could, peeling the two pieces of flesh further and further apart. Blood and saliva made their artistry on the ground.

Ellison ran out of the alley, tossing aside the insignia and holding fast to the pistol he stole. Running down the street, he ignored the stares and shouts of the aliens around him. Searching for something desperately, he ran over all those who got in his way. Something specific had to be found. His anger had to be satiated. Soon, he found a car filled with three turians. A happy couple and their newborn child getting ready to leave. Perfect

One bullet for papa, two for mama to start with. Then he took the car and bolted into the sky, swerving to move away from other cars. When he got high enough (which wasn't hard), he stopped the car, allowing it to hover in the air. Slowly, Ellison opened one of the doors, allowing the annoying little baby turian's voice to cry out across the Citadel. It was quite a sight, the Citadel. Even though the view from his apartment was impressive, this was even more so. He could see all five Ward arms and the Citadel Tower all in one glance. Such a sight, but he wasn't there for the sight. He wanted to be heard. His anger had to be heard.

Howling with laughter, he looked at the little turian. The little turian looked back through wailing eyes.

And down went baby, cradle and all.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Shepard knelt down at the entrance to Dock 237 behind Detective Chellick, Ashley close behind. C-Sec officers wielding standard issued assault rifles flanked the entrance on both sides. Chellick's sharp green eyes were even more accentuated by his golden-white skin tone, giving them a piercing look. Shepard looked up and saw Garrus and Tali climbing the ramparts in an attempt to get a better view of the target. Garrus would be the sniper while Tali would act as his spotter, observing the environment and acting as communications. They worked well together, Shepard noted.

"Your suspect should be inside the bay, if the trace was correct," Chellick murmured quietly. "Garrus should give us eyes on him soon."

"Unless he dropped the gun here," Ashley noted.

"He wouldn't," Shepard replied. "The pistol is the only weapon he has on him. It's the only reason why C-Sec hasn't taken his ass down. It's his shield against being arrested. Or killed."

Ashley nodded at the logic behind that, though she was still skeptical. Ellison was no doubt a madman. He had killed a number of people to get here, some of them children. What could motivate anyone to commit such atrocities? And why were they so concerned with living forever? She had heard of Major Paris from Shepard and she was astounded that Ellison was almost exactly the same as him. She had to know why or it would haunt her forever. As it no doubt haunted Shepard, she came to realize.

"Commander," Tali's voice came in quietly into Shepard's ear. "We're in position. We have eyes on the target. It's Ellison."

"Weapons?" Shepard asked.

"A pistol," Tali replied. "Nothing else. He's just standing there, staring out of the bay. There's a frigate inside, but he's making no move to board."

"He's waiting," Shepard muttered.

"Shepard, Pressly says the Normandy is just outside Dock 237," Ashley told him. "If Ellison makes a run on the frigate, Joker can disable him."

"Good," Shepard nodded. "Now we just need to take down the bastard. Any ideas, Chellick?"

"Short of shooting him in the head?" Chellick asked.

"I'd rather he be alive," Shepard said.

"So would I," Chellick nodded. "Basically, we need to coax him into dropping his weapon and turning himself him, but according to your account of him, he won't do that anytime soon."

"Keep in mind, detective," Shepard said. "I need what he knows about Saren. After that, I don't care what you do with him."

"No doubt the Alliance will start going on about how Ellison is a human that should be tried in a human court afterwards," Chellick groaned.

"Is there any other way?" Shepard asked. "But we need to get him to turn himself over."

"Agreed," Chellick nodded. He held a hand out to signal the others to hold their fire. Then he raised his voice through the entrance. "Major Harlan Ellison! This Citadel Security! You are surrounded! Place the weapon on the ground and put your hands on your head!"

"No thanks," Ellison replied could barely be heard.

"If you do not comply, we will arrest you by force!" Chellick told him.

"Do it and I'll blow my head off," Ellison responded. "Your move, detective."

Chellick shook his head and turned to Shepard.

"Next move would be to send in someone to talk with him," Chellick said. "See what he wants."

"I'll go," Shepard said without hesitation. "I have a feeling he wants to talk with me."

"And if he wants to kill you?" Chellick asked. "Like he tried to before?"

"So you'd rather have one of your C-Sec agents die instead of a Spectre?" Shepard countered. "Doesn't sound very opportunistic of you, detective."

"Spectres are supposed to protect the galaxy," Chellick said. "While they do that, C-Sec takes care of the Citadel."

"I'll go," Ashley said. Shepard and Chellick turned their heads to her. "I'm an Alliance soldier with personal history with him. Plus, I'm no Spectre or C-Sec officer. Everyone's happy. And I don't feel like he'll kill me."

"Feelings don't cut it, Chief," Chellick scoffed. "I'm looking at the facts. He has a gun and you don't. Don't forget he tried to beat the shit out of you recently."

"But he didn't kill me," Ashley said.

"Forget it," Chellick shot at her. Shepard merely stared into her eyes, searching her. Ashley met his gaze.

"Please," Ashley whispered. And with that one word, Shepard knew why she wanted to go. He sighed. It wasn't his place to deny her what she wanted.

"She's going," Shepard told Chellick, his voice thick with command. "Whether you like it or not. You owe me, remember." Chellick frowned at Shepard. Then he relented, sighing indignantly.

"Fine," Chellick groaned. "But after this, we're even."

"Fine by me," Shepard said. Chellick turned to tell his team what the plan was while Shepard prepared Ashley, beginning by handing her an earpiece. "Garrus and Tali will have eyes on you. If Ellison tries anything funny, Garrus will put a bullet in him."

"We need him alive," Ashley reminded him.

"I know, don't worry, the shot won't be fatal," Shepard said. "Now, through this earpiece, I'll be able to talk to you directly. You don't need to respond, but you need to listen to what I say. If anything goes wrong, if you feel uneasy, _anything_-"

"Shepard, I've got this," Ashley told him firmly. "I'm not the scared helpless girl you think I am, skipper. But if I need a shoulder to cry on, I'll let you know!"

"Cheeky little…" Shepard shook his head, but found that he was smiling. It was nice to hear her talk like that. Refreshing almost.

"Ready?" Chellick asked.

"As I'll ever be," Ashley nodded. She slowly stood up and in front of the entrance, hands in the air. Taking a deep breath, she entered the bay.

Dock 237 was exactly like the dock where the Normandy would stay when they went to the Citadel. But it sure felt far different. The situation was different. It was a matter of life or death, not trips to and from their destination. The feeling was a mixture of fear and wonder. An ominous pressure was deep in her chest, nearly suffocating her as she walked forward. And directly in front of her, was the reason for it.

Ellison stood with his back to her, his silhouette shadowed by the lights, black and threatening.

"Harlan!" Ashley yelled to get his attention.

He turned slowly.

"Evening, Williams," Ellison said smiling, one cheek line longer than the other. The mark that Ashley had given him had been crudely stitched back together, wires and string poking out of his skin at odd angles. It looked like little black marks had been written all over his cheek. Blood had clotted against his cheek, giving more black marks. All in all, his face looked less human than before.

"What brings you here?" Ellison asked, his smile broadening.

Ashley did her best not to gulp.

* * *

The dream sequence may or may not be metaphorical. I'll leave that interpretation (if any) to you. Suffice it to say, this is starting to get interesting.

FYI, I was able to replicate Ellison's speech by pulling on my cheek while speaking. It's close enough, I think. Try it and see. Just hook a finger through your mouth and pull on your cheek. Then read the dialogue. It's close, right?

Also, the number 237 for the docking bay is meant to mean something. I originally wanted to have some deep philosophical number but I couldn't find any that could fit the tone. So you get 237. People who read Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy might guess what it is.

Tomorrow is the start of finals week. Wish me luck.


	42. Chapter 33: The Phantom Agony

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«4.07: The Citadel: Upper Wards: Dock 237»

«or The Phantom Agony»

Ashley stood with her hands in the air, staring at Ellison in the eye. He merely regarded her presence with an air of indifference, the stitches on his cheek looking nearly infected.

"How's your cheek?" Ashley asked pleasantly.

"You want to die, chief?" Ellison asked. Then laughed. "Though I must say, you were a good shot. You nearly had me there. But I guess it wasn't meant to be."

"Too bad," Ashley said. "I guess I need to spend a few more days at the range."

"No, that's not it, chief," Ellison shook his head. "You just lack the instinct to kill."

"_He's trying to force a reaction from you,"_ Shepard whispered through the piece in her ear. _"Stay calm."_

Ashley didn't need him to tell her that. But still, words had a way of finding every crack in the armor. Unwillingly, she took those words to heart. But, she pressed onward.

"Ellison," Ashley said slowly. "What do you want?"

"I thought you heard," Ellison said, smiling. "I want to live forever."

"I thought you wanted to betray your home planet to Saren and the geth," Ashley replied. "That's what I heard."

"You still don't get it," Ellison shook his head. "It's more than just wanting revenge or wanting destruction, though that can be a little…exciting. No, it's much more than that."

"I don't see how this will help you out of your current predicament," Ashley asked.

"It's simple, really," Ellison said, walking to the edge of the pathway. "My original plan was to get off this Citadel and join up with Saren. Be a part of history in the making. But…I guess I should have seen it coming…"

"He hung you out to dry, huh?" Ashley asked, an elated smile forming on her face. Ellison shot her a look that could have scared her before, but not anymore. She had seen Shepard's face when he was angry and Ellison's face was nowhere near as frightening. Not even close.

"Anyways," Ellison continued, one of his eyelids twitching angrily. "That bastard decided he didn't need me anymore. Too bad, really. So, here's the deal. I will give you everything I know about Saren. His plans, his associates."

"And what do you want?" Ashley asked.

"Well, first, I'd like to get off this platform alive," Ellison noted. "But I have another request. I want to join your team. Simple enough. I join your team and be a part of the hunt for Saren. Another part of history in the making. Those are my terms. If not, I off myself here and now."

Ashley stared at him for a moment, confusion written on her face. Then she began to laugh. Ellison's egotistical smile turned quickly into a frown as he watched Ashley nearly double over with laugher. It was just so much for her!

"What's so fucking funny, Williams?" Ellison growled. Shepard was silent, ignoring Chellick's questions.

"You!" Ashley got out. "I've spent my entire life in anger at you! For what you did to my friend! But now! You're nothing but a sad, pathetic man at the end of his rope, desperately trying to find a lifeline! You're no longer the terrifying man that's haunted me for so long! Just…the _irony_! It's just so funny!" She laughed even harder at that. And she didn't know it, but Shepard was smiling as well.

"Shut up," Ellison growled even deeper.

Ashley tried to stifle her laughter, which took a while. Finally, she got herself under control; though she had to wipe tears from her eyes.

"It's just so…funny, when you see these men who've haunted you for so long be brought down to their knees so quickly," Ashley muttered, still quivering with humor.

"Will you still think it's funny with a bullet in your gut?" Ellison threatened, pointing his gun at her. Ashley stiffened, ready to act. Ellison chuckled. "Gotcha. My turn to laugh. Ha. And indeed, ha. Regardless of how hilarious you find it, that's my proposition. Take it or leave it."

"_Williams, it would seem that we have to take his offer,"_ Shepard spoke into her earpiece. "_He can provide us information. But I'm not gonna let that idiot on my ship. He's an enemy of the Citadel. Don't worry. He'll get his."_

Ashley had no doubt that Shepard would even consider letting Ellison aboard his ship. He just wouldn't allow that to happen. They could call him a man who would betray his word but there was just no way that he would let an enemy aboard his ship. Unless he had no choice. And this time, he did have a choice.

But…there was still Nirali Bhatia…

"Just tell me this, Ellison," Ashley muttered. "Why Nirali? Why did you force yourself to go so far? Just…why?"

"Why?" Ellison asked, smiling. "Why not? I'll admit it was fun, taking what you wanted. There are so many people in this universe who are simply complacent and would want nothing more than to live their life in peace. But they would never be as great as the others who actually tried to change their lives. They would become nothing more than dust in the wind when they died. And they will die, that much is inevitable. I said no. I said I would not go down in history as a nobody. I would strive for greatness. I would be remembered."

"You could have found greatness while still serving the Alliance," Ashley said. "But instead you chose to betray your fellow humans. You chose to betray the people you were supposed to look after. You chose to…" She couldn't bring herself to finish the thought.

"I chose to rape Miss Bhatia?" Ellison asked, a pleasant smile on his face. "Yes, I did choose to do such things. I could have done differently. But I didn't. And you know why. You know that humans only remember the things that are dark and despicable. That's just the nature of humans. So? I chose to betray the people I was sworn to protect."

"And Bhatia? What was the reason behind her?" Ashley asked.

"She would remember me now, wouldn't she?" Ellison giggled. "Well, she would have if she had lived. Now, I doubt only you and Mr. Bhatia would remember her now. Not very glorious isn't it?"

Ashley wanted nothing more than to sink her fingers into his eyes and kill him right then and there. She almost lost control. Why? It didn't make any sense at all. Why go to such lengths? Just to be remembered? That didn't seem like the answer.

It was at that moment that a thought entered her mind. It just popped into her brain out of the blue but…it explained everything. She could hardly believe it though. It seemed so…small.

"Ellison," Ashley whispered. "You're afraid of death, aren't you?"

Ellison froze and, for once, was speechless.

"That's it, isn't it?" Ashley whispered, realization dawning on her. "You're afraid of death. You're afraid of what happens after, if anything. It…it makes sense, I guess. None of us know what happens after death. And it's scary, the thought that everything we've ever done, all our life's accomplishments…all amount to nothing when the time comes for us to go…away."

Ellison stared at her, eyes wide with shock.

"And I guess," Ashley continued. "You just wanted to leave a mark on the galaxy…to show everyone that you existed…that you mattered. You wanted that so bad…and you were so afraid of just fading away…that you were willing to do…so much."

"Shut up," Ellison whispered, hardly any force behind his command.

"But that doesn't make it alright," Ashley said. "You're a man who've made choices solely to combat your fear. You've killed people, destroyed lives…because of your fear…"

"You shut your mouth you little-!" Ellison exclaimed.

"Or what?" Ashley scoffed, tired of the charade. "You'll kill me? The minute you do, my turian friend puts a bullet in your head. That'd be ironic. A xenophobe like you getting killed by the very race you despise. But since you're so afraid of death that you'd kill and butcher people, I know you wouldn't even try that option. So what? You'll kill yourself? We both know that's out of the question. So I have some new terms for your deal. You come with us and tell us everything you know on Saren, and you don't die. Simple enough?"

"_**You little bitch!**_" Ellison screamed, pointing his gun at Ashley.

"That's enough, dipshit," Shepard said, coming up from behind Ashley. His face was (once again) the epitome of calm with a pistol in his hand. Taking a breath, Ashley realized that she was glad to see him. It was also only then that she realized that she had been quite nervous the entire time she was with Ellison.

"Shepard!" Ellison breathed, visibly flabbergasted. "How…"

"You were entirely focused on Williams," Shepard said simply. "It was rather easy to just walk up without you noticing. So why don't you just drop the gun."

Ellison took several deep breaths, looking from Ashley to Shepard, eyes wide and red.

"My offer still stands, Johnny!" Ellison exclaimed, trying to find his composure. "You can still-!"

"Yeah, I'm gonna take Williams' offer on this one," Shepard said (once again) simply. "And it would be in your best interest to take the offer as well. Unless, of course, you want to get religious in the next few minutes."

"Religious?" Ashley asked calmly.

"Holy," Shepard answered.

"Oh, full of holes," Ashley nodded. "I gotcha."

Ellison took several breaths, trying to compose himself. It didn't work. Slowly, the pistol slid from his fingers and fell to the floor with a clank. Defeated, Ellison brought his hand up to his head.

"Chief, you can go back to Chellick if you want," Shepard told her. "Signal the Normandy to land here as well."

Ashley nodded and turned away, radio in hand. Shepard motioned Ellison to turn around, which he did as he took a step towards the edge of the pathway.

"You know, Ashley," Ellison spoke over his shoulder. "Since I'm gonna be in jail soon, I think you should know."

Ashley turned to Ellison.

"I think Nirali liked it."

Ashley's eyes widened as something snapped within her. Time seemed to slow around her as she ran forward, brushing past Shepard, faster than even he could react (or wanted to). Ashley grabbed Ellison's shoulder and spun him around to see his disgusting, surprised face.

The injuries to the head Ellison sustained were later ruled as received upon impact by the coroner, among his other injuries across his bodies. It was the ones to the head that ultimately killed him, the coroner knew. The head was the heaviest part of the body and would ultimately cause the body to tilt so it would land headfirst. However, Ashley kept telling herself that she was one who gave him those head injuries.

Eyes wide with fury and her face contorted into a face of pure rage, Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams drew her fist back and shot it forward, slamming it into Major Harlan Ellison's temple. Beneath her knuckles, she felt his skull crack. She felt his skull break apart into pieces as the shock of the impact shook his face and shot something out the other side of his head. Her fist eventually left his face as he fell backwards and disappeared over the edge of the pathway. His skull was so destroyed that he couldn't even scream. Or simply didn't.

The Major fell downwards towards the ground. But the Citadel was massive and the ground was so far away. The wind blew past him, chilling him to the bone. He felt like laughing hysterically all the way down. Just the sheer irony of it all was hysterical. But he didn't because he realized with growing trepidation one painful fact. He was going to die. Fear filled him then, the kind of fear that he had never known before. Before his head and body splattered and stained the ground of the Citadel, he came to a realization. It wasn't simply the fear of death that drove his actions. He was afraid of discovering what came after death. Or what didn't come after death. He was afraid of realizing that when all men die, they are equal, from the greatest king to the lowliest servant. He was afraid of realizing that death was the equalizer of all things.

Breathing rapidly, Ashley felt her knuckles crack as she squeezed her fist into a tight ball. She was sure her fingernails had pierced into her palm but she didn't care. She was just…angry. Pure and simple. She felt rage. She felt fury. She felt wrath. She felt-

She felt a comforting hand on her shoulder and she spun her head around. Shepard was there. He was always there. His face was…just a plain face. No judgment or anything of the sort.

"Sorry," Ashley whispered.

"Ah, I probably would've done it sooner or later," Shepard muttered. Ashley knew he wouldn't have done that but she appreciated the sentiment.

"What the hell happened!" Chellick demanded, walking briskly towards them. Behind him were the other C-Sec officers clearing the area. Chellick deserved all the attention, though. He looked furious.

"Our buddy just did a Peter Pan right off this ledge," Shepard exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air in feigned confusion. Noticing that Chellick didn't understand the reference, he added, "He jumped."

"Really? The man jumped?" Chellick said, unbelieving.

"Yup," Shepard answered, nodding.

"Garrus?" Chellick said over the radio.

"He did a Peter Pan," Garrus answered. Chellick sighed and turned off the connection. What he didn't hear was Garrus asking Tali who Peter Pan was. Tali, in turn, had no idea.

"You owe me one, Shepard," Chellick said as he stood inches away from Shepard's face.

"That's fine with me, Chellick," Shepard said. "You want me to give you Jenna's number and we'll call it even?" Chellick nearly coughed and (nearly) grew red.

"N-No! Of course not! Why would I want that?" Chellick rolled his eyes and looked away.

"I dunno," Shepard said, taking a cigarette out of his back pocket.

"Because that's against regulations, you know. She's a civilian and is…_highly_ unorthodox considering I worked along side her once," Chellick said firmly and rather loudly.

"Well okay then," Shepard said, lighting it coolly with a match. He inhaled deeply and blew the smoke over the side (where Ellison did his Peter Pan dive). Silence fell between the two.

"I won't say anything about what happened in my report," Chellick said at last. "Not that it matters, anyways. Since this deals with a Spectre, the incident will no doubt be buried within the archives, never to be seen again."

"I appreciate it," Shepard told him. And he meant it. Chellick began walking away as Shepard inhaled and exhaled deeply. It had been a long day and he was tired.

"So…how is Jenna?" Chellick asked over his shoulder.

"Okay, seriously, do you want her number or not?" Shepard exclaimed.

That went on for a while.

Finally, Chellick and the other C-Sec officers left to return back to the Academy. Garrus and Tali called in the Normandy while giving Ashley her space. Ashley sat down on the ground, staring at her hands. Shepard joined her and offered her a cigarette. Ashley took it though she had no intention of smoking it. She didn't smoke. Instead, she played with the cigarette between her fingers.

"I'm sorry," Ashley whispered. "He was a lead and had information on Saren. And…I let my anger get the better of me. I'm sorry."

"I'd be lying if I said I was disappointed," Shepard told her. "The universe doesn't need scum like that. Besides, what could Ellison have really known about Saren? I've read his profile and Saren liked to work alone. If it served his purposes, he worked with others. But…ultimately, he was alone. He wouldn't have trusted anything useful to Ellison. He would have just given him information that he needed to do his job. Nothing worth knowing, really."

In silence, they let their words hang in the air. Tired, Ashley rested her head on Shepard's shoulder. She was glad when he didn't shy away from her, maybe because he was just as tired.

"I'm sorry about before," Ashley said finally.

"Before?" Shepard asked.

"That whole thing about Zabaleta," Ashley said. "Me giving you a hard time about it when you have enough to worry about with Saren and the geth. I was just…"

"Angry about Ellison," Shepard said. "You didn't know where to vent your anger out on so you bottled it up."

"And then I destroyed the computer room," Ashley said. Silence.

"I have to say that was pretty awesome to watch," Shepard told her with earnest. "You were like a whirlwind!" Ashley laughed along with Shepard and it felt nice.

"So, I'm sorry about before," Ashley repeated. Shepard was silent, deep in thought.

"I don't like helping people," Shepard admitted, more to himself. "People put all their faith and trust in you, hoping you're their savior. But I'm not God. I'm a man. I'm a human being. I can't do everything they want me to. I can't fix everything that they want me to fix. I…it just seems like the more I'm in a position to help people the less I want to."

"It's tough being the person everyone turns to when they need help," Ashley said. "We're Alliance soldiers, remember?"

"Too true," Shepard said. "I've helped so many people in the past. Most of the time, they've tried to stab me in the back. So, I guess…I guess I just made a creed of sorts. A philosophy to help only those who actually ask for it."

"What if people are too weak to ask for it?" Ashley asked.

"I didn't say it was a perfect philosophy," Shepard said. "In the end, the people I've helped aren't gracious about it. Like the people on Elysium. Those fuckers were all cheering when we won. They didn't think about the men and women who bled to keep them safe. Who _died_ to keep them safe. It just…pissed me off so much. Good people like…Peter…dead to save their ungrateful asses."

"Since when do you need someone's gratitude to help them?" Ashley asked. Shepard didn't answer. "I know, I know. You wanted people to know about Peter and what he sacrificed to help them. But you can't just say that people aren't going to remember. Look at the memorial on Elysium. A wall covered in the names of the fallen during the Blitz. And I think people do remember the things you did. The things your team did to save them."

"People sure don't act like it," Shepard muttered emotionlessly. Ashley stood up and walked in front of him, hands on her hips. She looked…frustrated.

"Skipper, are you actually moping?" Ashley asked angrily. "I'm sorry, did your balls drop off when Ellison threw that grenade at you? Since when do you care what other people think? So what if they act ungrateful? So what if they're pricks? It doesn't matter because you know what? _You_ remember what happened! _You_ remember the price they paid! _You_ remember their sacrifice! You remember _Peter's_ sacrifice! And as long as you keep his memory in your heart, isn't that enough?"

Shepard stared at Ashley, slightly surprised by her outburst. Then he broke into a genuine smile.

"Glad to see you're back to normal, Chief," Shepard said.

"Well we can't be _both_ depressed can we?" Ashley said. "We're a team. We look out for each other. And the means we pull each other out of the fire."

"Too true," Shepard said. "Too true."

At that moment, the Normandy slowly moved in to pick up the crew. Ashley and Shepard stared at each other, smiling.

"You know," Ashley said, perking up. "I just realized something. You say you only ask people for help when they ask it. But, Hannah didn't ask for your help when she was in the pit with you. You helped her anyways. And when Hannah asked you to help Zabaleta, you didn't."

"You're just full of epiphanies today, aren't you?" Shepard said. "I didn't help Zabaleta because he can help himself. He's just…"

"_Too weak to ask for it…_" Ashley sang soothingly and smugly.

"**Thank you. Socrates**," Shepard said, annoyed by her arrogance.

"You just didn't think he deserved it, skipper," Ashley said. "And you're right. He probably doesn't. But you know what? Hannah asked you to help him. Don't you owe her one anyways? For…I dunno…_taking you in when you needed a home?_"

"Oh playing the guilt-trip on me, are you, Lady Macbeth?" Shepard said shaking his head. Ashley's smile broadened. Suddenly, a random thought popped into her mind.

"What did you tell the veterinarian?" Ashley asked. "After the veterinarian dropped you and Hannah off at her apartment, he asked you what Hannah was to you. What was your answer?" Shepard stared at her and opened his mouth to answer.

"What did I miss everything?" Wrex grumbled angrily, interrupting the moment. He was running up to Shepard and Ashley, Kaidan, Garrus and Tali following closely behind. "Dammit! I wanted to be there when he went over the edge!"

"You told him?" Ashley accused Garrus.

"Hey, what can I say?" Garrus said, holding his hands out defensively. "He threatened to try to eat me again!"

"Everyone alright?" Kaidan asked.

"They're fine, kid. You worry too much," Wrex told him.

"Hey, I'm just doing my civic duty and being polite," Kaidan said simply.

"Something I'm pretty sure krogan's aren't aware of," Tali reminded them.

Soon, the conversation started up again and everyone began to laugh. Shepard only stared at his team and shook his head. _His_ team. They really were his team.

Liara showed her face eventually, though she stayed near the back, shy and unsure of her place yet again. Shepard examined her face and noticed that she had been crying.

"You okay?" Shepard asked.

"Yes! Yes, I'm fine, thank you," Liara said. She was lying of course but Shepard left it alone. Eventually, she would have to face her fear and trepidation, just like that all would. Shepard just hoped that Liara would ask for help before she burst, like Ashley.

Eventually, the conversation died down and everyone made their way onboard the Normandy, ready to get some well needed sleep. Except for Shepard. He stayed outside for a moment.

"Coming inside?" Liara asked, hopeful for his company (though she would never admit it).

"I've got some things to take care of first," Shepard said. "I'll meet up with you guys back at Dock 422." Liara nodded (looking a little disappointed) and went aboard. Ashley stayed behind though, looking confused.

"I told the veterinarian," Shepard finally answered. "That she was my mother. And because she's my mother, I'm going to help that lazy-ass Zabaleta. That is, unless her high and mightiness, Ashley, has another philosophical lecture she wishes to bequeath onto me?"

Ashley shook her head and waved farewell as she boarded the ship. It was only after the ship was underway that Shepard had done something for the first time since she had met him.

He had called her by her first name.

* * *

Did you really think I'd let Ellison off easy? Hell no.

There are two main things that can motivate any humans into doing something: sex, and the fear of death. Death is scary, even for the fatalists. One minute we're here and next, we're gone. The band Epica calls it the Phantom Agony. We don't think about it much, but when we do, we can't help but feel completely lost. And even though we generate stories about what happens afterwards, none of us really know what's going to happen to us. And this scares us. All of us (unless you're a sociopath with no emotions of your own…in which case you don't worry about this kind of stuff).

In Ellison's case, I was curious to see how far the fear of death would drive someone. Would it cause them to commit such terrifying acts? Yes. I believe it can.

I'll post something along these lines on my blog. If you have an opinion on the subject, leave a comment there.

I'm describing the Vietnam War Memorial there when Ashley talks about the memorial on Elysium. It fit the story I think.

So, one more chapter and we'll be done with this little digression/story arc. What's next? I work on my Fable story some, maybe throw in an extra and then…duh duh duh DUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

We leave for Feros.

You hear that? That is every reader of this little FanFic screaming "FINALLY!"


	43. Chapter 34: Loose Ends

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«4.08: The Citadel: Upper Wards: Wards Access Corridor»

«or Loose Ends»

Zabaleta stared at the wall across from him, mildly oblivious to the world around him. He was sprawled across the floor, his legs stretched out in front of him and his back hunched against the wall, a bottle of…whatever it was in his hand. He reeked of everything that ever came near him and his stench was palpable to everyone but he didn't care. He was in a drunken stupor so why should he care? No one else cared. Besides, he didn't need to think of anything when he was drunk. His mind couldn't function when he was drunk. His memories couldn't function when he was drunk.

Soon, though, some people took notice. One in particular.

"Evening, drunk," Shepard said sarcastically. "You still awake?"

Zabaleta muttered something incomprehensible.

"Glad to hear it," Shepard replied. "Why don't you get up?"

"Why?" Zabaleta asked.

"Because you need to get somewhere safe," Shepard replied. "Sleeping on the streets isn't something people like. And I think there are a few laws about it that C-Sec is more than happy to uphold. So why don't you get up and I'll take you someplace safer. They'll have some nice beds, you know?"

"Where is this…_place_?" Zabaleta asked.

"Does it matter? It's better than sleeping on the cold ground," Shepard again replied. He patted Zabaleta's leg twice. "C'mon. Don't make me carry you." Zabaleta looked up and stared at Shepard. Then he began to laugh.

"Oh, _now_ you want to help me?" Zabaleta chuckled.

"Yeah, I know," Shepard rolled his eyes. "I've got that exact same speech from everyone else. Yes, now I am helping you. So get up or I'll sure as hell drag you up."

"What? You gonna take me to the Veteran Affairs Office?" Zabaleta said, chuckling. "That's where everyone else took me. Like that'll do any good. All they do is pump you full of chemicals. Just get me another bottle of beer and I'll be good." Zabaleta tried to finish the last few ounces of the beer in his bottle, but Shepard grabbed it and took it away from him.

"I'm not gonna give you more beer so you can drink yourself to death," Shepard told him angrily. "Have some pride, man!"

"Pride? You want to talk to _me_ about pride?" Zabaleta told him, anger in his voice. He slowly pushed himself up the wall, trying to stand. "How can I have pride in myself when I've seen what I've seen? Huh? How can I have pride in myself when I can't even control my own _mind_!"

Shepard watched him silently as tears slowly flowed down the former Lieutenant's face.

"You don't know what it's like!" Zabaleta moaned. "We were pinned down! Forced to watch as everyone were herded off into cages to small to stand up in but too uncomfortable to sit down in. Like animals! Not just the men but also the women and the children! And we couldn't reach them! They had us pinned! I could hear their screams! It was horrible! I couldn't help them! I was an Alliance soldier! We were made to protect people! And I couldn't! I couldn't! And now, when I sleep, I can't hear anything except their screams! I can't see anything except their terrified faces! All those nameless people haunting me! The booze makes them go away! So tell me, Shepard! How can I have pride in myself! _Tell me!_ _**Tell me!**_"

Shepard grabbed Zabaleta by his shirt and slammed him back into the wall. The force caused the former Lieutenant to blink several times.

"So you're just going to lay down and die?" Shepard asked him angrily. "Shit happens! People die! We can't always get the bad guys! Call it fate, karma or whatever bullshit you need to call it but the fact of the matter is you can't control everything! War, by its very nature, is chaos! You don't know what's going to happen, you don't know who's going to die! So what's the point of blaming yourself for things that were far beyond your control?"

"_He followed my orders," Shepard said. "I don't see the difference."_

"_Peter followed your orders because it needed to be done," Ashley stated. "You can't blame yourself for that."_

"_Sure I can," Shepard said, almost cheerfully._

"_Is that it then?" Ashley asked. "You blame yourself for his death because there was nothing you could have done?"_

"I know what happened on Mindoir," Shepard continued. "Probably better than you do. But you are not helping anyone by lying on the sidelines and dying! Don't you think you owe it to others to survive?"

"Like who? You?" Zabaleta groaned.

"You don't owe me a goddamn thing," Shepard told him. "But you owe it to the people who you couldn't save! You owe it to your teammates who were right there with you! And you owe it to my mother, the one who looked out for you when you were too drunk to do your job! Who's _still_ looking out for you even now!"

Zabaleta looked at him, tears in his eyes. Even through the drunkenness, he could see something growing within him. That terrible feeling that pains every heart in the universe.

The feeling of hope.

And with that feeling, Zabaleta looked down towards the ground, unable to look at Shepard in the eye.

"Okay," Zabaleta replied. "For your mother."

Shepard nodded and released his hold on Zabaleta. He regretted that decision, as the alcohol went to work on his inner ear, which in turn caused Zabaleta to fall face first onto the ground, knocking him out instantly. Shepard stared at the limp body and then at the ceiling.

"You have got to be shitting me," Shepard said, shaking his head.

Sighing, Shepard grabbed the limp body and slung him over his shoulder, Zabaleta's head down by Shepard's lower back. And slowly, he made his way towards the Veteran Affairs Office, praying with all his might that Zabaleta doesn't puke down his back.

The universe wasn't that kind.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Annoyed beyond all belief and with a rather drenched back, Shepard walked into the Veteran Affairs Office, Zabaleta still slung over his shoulder. The woman at the front desk looked up from her computer and furrowed her brow in confusion. She had soft and lovely brown eyes and long flowing brown hair that glistened in the lamplight. She wore make-up that accentuated her eyes and blush that reflected the light.

"Please tell me this is the VAO," Shepard said, frustrated beyond all belief.

"Yes," the woman said. She recognized the man from somewhere… "Can I help you with something?"

"Yes you can Miss…" Shepard squinted at her nametag. "Miss Theresa Mia. This drunken man who thought it was in his best interest to pass out and vomit down my back is Lieutenant Ernesto Zabaleta, formerly of the Alliance Military. He was in one of the first units that touched down on Mindoir during the raid. Well, I think you can understand where I'm going with this."

"Ah, of course," Theresa Mia nodded. She reached for a button and called for some extra help. Soon a blue turian with white face marks and a reddish salarian came through a door with a stretcher and took Zabaleta from Shepard. They wheeled Zabaleta's limp body down the hallway. He disappeared behind the next turn.

"We'll need to get any and all foreign substances he may have taken out of his body," Theresa told Shepard. "After that, we can help him with his PTSD. Thank you for bringing him to us."

"Yeah, yeah," Shepard muttered. "If that's all, then I should go and change this shirt."

"Um, before you go," Theresa said. "Are you, by any chance, Commander John Shepard?"

"Yeah," Shepard nodded.

"The same who helped defend Elysium during the Blitz seven years ago?" Theresa asked.

"What of it?" Shepard asked.

"Um…" Theresa bit her lip. "I was there…seven years ago."

Shepard froze and stared at her. This was…unexpected. And he guessed that she was also feeling uncomfortable about the whole situation.

"Can I talk to you later? I'll be having my break in 15 minutes," Theresa said hesitantly. Then she quickly added, "If you have time, that is."

Shepard stared at her for a moment, unsure. He wasn't one to go with some random woman because she asked him to follow. But this was different than your average bar floozy. She seemed…genuine. She seemed like she actually wanted to talk.

"Sure," Shepard answered out of pure curiosity.

\::/::\::/::\::/

"I was hoping that you could tell me the name of a soldier," Theresa explained, holding her glass of tea in her hand. Her fingers curled around it tightly. "Everyone knew you were the one in charge of the defenses of the base, not that idiot of a Major. So, I guess you knew most of the soldiers under your command."

"I did," Shepard nodded, leaning back in his chair, head propped in his hand. He drank nothing. Around him, people bustled to and fro from location to location. Some stayed for a drink and to chat, while others seemed intent to ignore and to be ignored by everyone. In the distance, the fountain of the Presidium could be seen, shooting arcs of water high into the air. For the most part, Shepard ignored everyone and for the most part, Theresa ignored everyone as well. They kept their attention on each other.

"Well, I don't really know…" Theresa bit her lip.

"Why don't you describe him to me?" Shepard offered. Theresa furrowed her brow trying to think.

"He carried a…rifle when he dropped down from the ceiling," Theresa began. "There…was a man in the room…he wanted to do…_things_…but the man killed him before he could. He wore…a strange glowing red…goggle over his eye. It was like an eye patch but he could see through it."

"Peter," Shepard muttered in shock.

"I'm sorry?" Theresa asked.

"He was Private 1st Class Peter Lamont," Shepard answered her. "He was my friend."

"Was?" Theresa asked.

"He died near the end of the blitz," Shepard told her, not going into details.

"Oh," was all Theresa said. She took a sip from her cup and remained silent. The world moved around them while they sat still. Theresa sat with her back straight and her hands on her cup. She merely stared at her hands. Shepard stared at the world around them, staring but not really paying attention to.

"I wanted to thank him," Theresa said aloud. "He saved my life and…and I didn't even thank him."

"There was no need," Shepard said, memories trickling back into his head. "Peter was the kind of person who would do you a favor and then walk away before you thanked him. He was so shy."

"Shy? Him?" Theresa asked, disbelieving.

"Oh yeah," Shepard nodded, smiling. "He had the worst stutter you ever heard. A five-word sentence could take him over a minute to get through. And that was at the best of times."

"But when I talked to him, he seemed fine," Theresa said, leaning closer with an intrigued look on her face.

"That's what was so weird about him!" Shepard told her, excited. "Whenever he was fighting, he was fine! No stutter at all. He was ruthless, too. Did whatever he needed to do to complete the mission. It scared me sometimes just how different he became."

Shepard and Theresa smiled at each other at the thought. Theresa fidgeted with her glass of tea as her warm, brown eyes examined the table.

"He must have been on a mission when he rescued me," Theresa said. "His last. He spent 20 whole minutes guiding me to the bunkers."

"Of course," Shepard nodded. "He always had a soft spot for cute girls." That brought red spots to her cheeks.

"He went out his way just to make sure I was safe," Theresa said. "I'll never get that out of my head."

"He wasn't one to leave a civilian alone without protection," Shepard said. "He'd never live with himself then."

"I guess so," Theresa said, taking the final sips of her tea. She looked up at Shepard. "Thank you."

"For what?" Shepard asked.

"For everything you've done and everything you'll ever do," Theresa said. "You're an Alliance soldier. And a Spectre. You protect people as best as you can. And even though you can't always save everyone, you still try your best. Not everyone can do that. So, thank you. Thank you for saving the lives of thousands on Elysium. Thank you."

Shepard said nothing for a while, trying to absorb everything that she just told him.

"You shouldn't thank me," Shepard told her. "I didn't even know you existed until now."

"You didn't know the thousands of people of Elysium existed," Theresa told him. "And yet they're still alive thanks to you. Plus, I think it's high time someone thanked the soldiers who gave their lives to save _our_ lives. Sure, we remember their sacrifice but we don't actually thank them for it. Maybe because some people think thanking the dead is…useless. But I don't. And I think people should thank everyone who helped them, even if they're dead. And now that I know who Peter is, I can thank him properly. And I can remember him properly."

Shepard could say nothing. He said nothing even as a beep came from Theresa's Omni-Tool.

"Well, my break is over. I need to get back to work," Theresa said, getting up from her chair. Shepard also got up politely and stood straight and tall for her. Theresa looked him up and down for a moment. Then she got on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. Strangely, Shepard felt that the kiss wasn't entirely for him alone. "Thank you again."

With everything that needed to be said having been said, Shepard watched as Theresa walked down the street, the wind blowing her long hair, causing it to dance energetically. She was noticeably stronger than when Peter found her, with her back straight, pride and happiness flowing through her bones. Though, Shepard didn't know the difference. He did, however, notice her strength.

Shepard sat himself back down onto the chair and placed his head on his hand, staring at the fountain. He needed to think and reflect. Around him, the world spun past him, with more and more people moving past him, some human and some alien. Still, he continued to stare at the fountain. He watched it dance on the water's surface, its droplets causing ripples that spread out far and wide.

Soon, the Presidium turned from day and into night. The ceiling turned from the normal blue skies and white clouds and turned to darker shade and mixture of purple and black, simulating a rather comforting allure of peace and serenity. And still, Shepard sat there, staring at the fountain.

"Shepard?" came a soft voice from behind. Shepard turned in his chair at the sound.

"Liara?" Shepard said, surprised.

"Here you are, Commander," Liara said happily.

"What're you doing here?" Shepard asked.

"Well, you've been gone for nearly four hours," Liara explained. "We tried calling you but your radio was turned off. So I decided to look for you."

"What, were you worried?" Shepard asked, jokingly. And to his delight, Liara blushed bright red.

"What? Oh no! I didn't mean for you to think that you couldn't take care of yourself! I just wanted to find you! Uh, no, that didn't come out right," Liara stammered.

"I'm joking, Liara," Shepard chuckled. "Please, sit."

"Oh!" Liara exclaimed. Slowly, she took her seat across from Shepard.

"So, how is everyone?" Shepard asked.

"Ashley went to sleep as after she was checked up on by Dr. Chakwas," Liara explained. "Dr. Chakwas was also quite furious with you when you didn't come back. You were hit by a grenade and she wants to make sure you're okay."

"She worries too much," Shepard said, waving the comment away. "Do I look fine to you?"

"By the goddess, where's your finger?" Liara gasped. Shepard shot his eyes to his hand immediately to examine it. All five fingers were still attached. Shepard looked back at Liara, who was giggling behind her hand.

"Good one, doctor," Shepard shook his head, laughing along.

"Ashley looked so tired," Liara continued. "It was hard to believe that she could even move after what she was put through."

"Yeah," Shepard nodded in agreement. "She's tougher than she looks."

"I concur," Liara said. "It also seemed that she was very…content, when she slept."

"She was able to protect the honor of someone close to her," Shepard said.

"I'm happy for her," Liara said. "Oh! Before I forget, Admiral Hackett was trying to get a hold of you."

"He probably just wanted me to tell him what happened," Shepard said. "I'll talk to him when I get back to the ship."

Liara nodded and looked over at the fountain. She tried to see what Shepard saw, her blue eyes twinkling in the nightlight.

"So what were you doing before I got here?" Liara asked. Shepard continued to stare at the fountain for a while longer.

"About an hour after Ellison took a dive, I found a friend of my mothers," Shepard began slowly. "He had hit some hard times. I, personally, wanted nothing to do with it…but Ashley and my mother are the masters of wielding guilt. No wonder they're in the army. Anyways, I took him to the Veterans Affairs Office and I met someone…I didn't expect to meet."

"Who?" Liara asked.

"A girl who survived Elysium," Shepard said. "It was strange. This whole time I wanted people to remember the soldiers who died for them. So their deaths wouldn't be in vain. So their deaths had meaning. And in comes this girl, out of nowhere, and she holds all of them close to her heart. She remembers them and she thanks them. This one girl gave all of their lives meaning just by remembering them. I…I just wasn't expecting that."

"Maybe you're too hard on other people," Liara suggested. "You don't know their hearts. Maybe more people are thankful than you give credit."

"Maybe," Shepard said. "It's just…all I wanted was for their sacrifice to be remembered. Not by memorials but by people's own hearts and souls. On a personal level. I thought no one would ever do that. But she…"

"Well, you never know with people, do you?" Liara said. "They can surprise you." Shepard stared into Liara's blue eyes and smiled.

"I guess I was hoping that people other than me remembered Peter," Shepard told her. "And now that someone else does…I'm…glad."

"Aren't you enough?" Liara asked. "I mean, you knew him better than most people, or at least, that's what I gathered. So aren't you enough to keep his memory."

And for a moment, Liara thought she saw some sadness behind his own blue eyes. For a moment, she thought she felt that Shepard had more memories that haunted him. For a moment, she thought that she could tell that Shepard didn't think of himself worthy enough to carry on his friend's memories. But as quick as a flash of light, the moment was gone. Shepard merely stood up and held out his hand.

"I'm tired," Shepard smiled in a gentlemanly way. "Shall we return?"

Liara stared at him for a moment. Then she smiled and took his hand. Her hand was soft and his hand was also soft. Once she stood, he released her hand and they walked together. Side by side, they continued to the docking bay, smiling and talking about whatever came across their minds. Generally, they just enjoyed each other's company.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Shepard entered his room after saying goodnight to Liara. Once he did, his extranet phone was ringing. Sighing, he dropped himself down on his chair and answered the phone. And sure enough, it was Admiral Hackett.

"Shepard," Hackett said. "You have any idea how long I was trying to contact you?"

"I can guess," Shepard replied. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Do I want to know what really happened to the Major?" Hackett asked.

"Depends," Shepard scratched his chin. "Do you like to hear cold, blunt truth?"

"Not really," Hackett admitted.

"Then nein," Shepard answered.

"Fair enough," Hackett said. "We found his body and also his Omni-Tool. It was badly damaged but we managed to find one file. It was the access codes to the Earth Global Defense System. If he had sent these to Saren, the turian would have been able to bypass all of Earth's defenses and attack with his geth. The results would have been catastrophic, as you can guess. Luckily, you found him before he could finish encrypting it."

"Kudos for me," Shepard muttered.

"Now, we'll need to spend a long time trying to repair the damage Ellison might have caused," Hackett continued. "But for now, they seem minimal. The codes may have been the only thing he had managed to get his hands on. Anyways, everything related to Ellison has been put under extreme scrutiny."

"Does that include the one under Clerk Bosker?" Shepard asked.

"The investigation of the Eden Prime victims? Yes," Hackett nodded.

"Private Nirali Bhatia," Shepard stated.

"What about her?" Hackett asked.

"Let her go home," Shepard said firmly. Hackett looked at him for a moment.

"Fair enough," Hackett said finally. "Did you want me to tell Chief Williams about it? She sent me a message about the same thing."

"Yeah," Shepard said. "But don't tell her I had anything to do with it. Just say because Ellison was a traitor and all, she was released. She'll probably want to tell Nirali's husband about it so let her."

"Sounds good," Hackett said nodding. "But you owe me a favor."

"I'm owing a lot of people favors today," Shepard sighed. "But yeah. That sounds good."

"That's all for now, Commander," Hackett said. "Fifth fleet out."

Shepard turned off the monitor of his computer and rubbed his eyes. He was dead tired. He had a brain scan, had a grenade blown up in his face, and now he just had an epiphany. Shepard quickly ran through everything he did in the day, trying to see if he left out everything.

Nope. He had tied up all loose ends. Satisfied, Commander Shepard turned to his bed, collapsed on it and passed out.

* * *

Hey, look who it is! That girl on Elysium that Peter saved. And guess what, now we have her last name! So we can finally understand where her name comes from!

Give up? Well, according to Stephen King's little Dark Tower magnum opus, the word "Mia" means "mother" in the fictional language. You put two and two together and what do you get?

Regardless of what you think of war (any war), I think soldiers deserve praise. Maybe because several of my friends and family are in the military but I always support the troops. Now I don't always agree with the reasons we go to war but that's a different story altogether.

Till next time.


	44. Extra: Fighting Boredom on the Normandy

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«Extra: _SSV Normandy_: Command Deck: Bridge»

«or Fighting Boredom on the Normandy»

Joker was bored out of his mind. He had spent the last three hours or so going through multiple ship diagnostics and tests to make sure the Normandy was in tip-top shape. Most of the diagnostics could have been finished the day before, were it not for Major Ellison's…distraction. Not that he didn't mind that little break. It gave him something to do instead of the menial tasks that were part of his job. Like actually fly the ship.

But, those thoughts of happiness were dashed away when no less than five minutes later, Ellison did his swan dive and Joker was forced back to his tedious task of making sure everything was up to Shepard's standards of operation.

The monitor beeped and the first test was complete. Over 20-something left to go. Joker was almost tempted to break his own leg. At least that would give him a reason to leave his chair. He sighed.

"XO, do I have to physically be here for this? This is boring," Joker complained.

"Yes, now sit there and do your job," Pressly ordered him offhandedly, reviewing the notes on his datapad. "You took the job and promised to do your job. All parts of the job, even the boring parts."

"Seriously, man, all I do is sit in one spot for five hours and press the 'yes' button whenever it rears its ugly little head," Joker continued his tirade. "I really don't need to be here for _that,_ do I? Just call me whenever the option pops up and I'll hobble over here! Or better yet! Get one of the other lackeys on this ship to do it!"

"Hey! I'm sitting right here!" yelled a man towards the stern.

"You know you're a lackey, Frank!" Joker shouted towards the man.

"Technically, a lackey is a manservant," commented a woman nearby. "So, technically speaking, we're all lackey's to the Commander."

"Thank you for rubbing it in, Lauren!" Frank yelled defensively.

"Whatever, the point is, I can make this ship dance for you if I wanted to," Joker continued. "If you want me to fly this ship, I can fly this ship. Look at my file. I'm a Flight Lieutenant. I fly ships. It's what I was born to do."

"Born with broken legs," someone else muttered.

"I heard that, Avery!" Joker shouted back at the stern yet again, amidst a din of chuckles. "Don't think you're mustache makes you intimidating! I will walk over there and pop you upside the head with my crutch!"

"I would _love _to see that!" Avery responded playfully.

"Don't think I won't!" Joker shouted again, trying to hide his smile. "Now where was I?"

"You were talking about how you were born to fly ships," Hal reminded him in a monotone voice.

"Thank you," Joker said. "I fly ships! I don't sit in chairs and press buttons all day long. Or even the _same_ button all day long, for that matter!"

"Technically, in this day and age, that's _all_ piloting a ship requires you to do," Lauren said again.

"_**Thank you! Lauren!**_" Joker shouted at her.

"That's not all it takes!" Frank said defensively. "There're levers involved! And Joker needs us to keep the rest of the ship running!"

"Actually, Frank, Joker doesn't really need you at all!" Avery told him. "You don't matter at all on this ship!"

Frank looked like he was about to cry.

"Joker, I understand your point," Pressly said, looking up from his datapad. "Yes, this job can get boring sometimes but we have to do it with the utmost proficiency. We have to be the best of the best. Now, _you_ are by far the best pilot I've ever worked with. And I expect you act like it, especially around the Commander."

Joker sighed and looked at the screen. He pressed the 'yes' button again.

"I guess I should be wondering what Hal's doing on the ship's computer," Joker stated.

"I was wondering when you would notice, Flight Lieutenant," Hal said again.

"So, Hal, you mind telling us what you're doing on the computer?" Joker asked.

"I felt like exploring around a bit," Hal replied. "The Mako is only so big. I simply wanted to see what the Normandy was like. And I must say, it is as impressive as they say. I must commend your piloting skills if it is true how well you handle the ship."

"Does Garrus know where you are?" Pressly asked.

"Hey, is that Hal?" Frank asked. "Hi Hal!"

"Hello, Officer Frank," Hal said in a monotonously pleasant tone. "Try not to listen to what Officer Avery said. You matter."

Frank grinned.

"In you own small way."

Frank's self-esteem shattered.

"Hey, Pressly, is Hal up there with you?" Adams said through the radio.

"Yeah, we've got him," Joker said.

"If you're not done using him, I'd like him down here," Adams said.

"Technically, Hal isn't a human being, so he shouldn't be called 'he,' or 'him,'" Lauren said again.

"No one cares, Lauren!" Joker yelled at her, rolling his eyes. "What do you need Hal for?"

"I've gotta pee and I need him to watch this test I'm running," Adams replied.

"Adams! I could look after it for you!" Tali quipped up behind him.

"Hey, you were busy flirting it up with Garrus!" Adams told him.

"_**For the last time, I wasn't flirting with him!**_" Tali shouted at him, obviously embarrassed.

"Remember, it's not rape if you yell surprise!" Avery shouted.

"That's grounds for sexual harassment, you know," Lauren told him.

"Commander on deck!" Ashley shouted.

The command decksilenced immediately, with everyone standing stock-still and rigid. Only Joker wasn't standing for obvious reasons. While they were talking, both Ashley and Shepard had walked on-board and had been watching the exchange. Both were carrying their gym-bags and were sweating a little from their work out.

Shepard took a step forward, looking at everyone with his piercing blue gaze. He took a deep breath.

"Adams, stop using the VI to do your job. Hal, stop exploring the systems without telling people. Tali, put Hal back in the Mako. Avery, don't be an instigator. Lauren, stop being a smartass. Frank, quit your whining. Pressly, for god's sakes get off your ass and take command of the CIC. And Joker," Shepard said to everyone.

Joker gulped.

"Are you really as bored as you say you are?" Shepard said ironically. He shook his head.

"I'm gonna take a shower, Skipper," Ashley said before walking away.

"How was the work out, Commander?" Pressly asked.

"Spent most of it teaching the Chief some moves I learned during N7 training," Shepard said. "Her idea."

"So basically, you just sparred each other in hand-to-hand combat for 2 hours?" Pressly asked.

"Like I said," Shepard sighed. "Her idea. She wants to get stronger. Thus, she wants me to teach her some moves."

"_I_ could teach her some moves," Avery muttered.

"Avery, what did I say about being an instigator?" Shepard demanded.

"That I don't be one?" Avery replied helplessly.

"Exactly," Shepard said. "Because you are one inch away from instigating my foot up your ass!"

Joker watched the exchange for a little bit. There was a bleep behind him. He sighed, turned the chair around and pressed the 'yes' button. He couldn't help but shake his head and smile.

Shepard was right; he wasn't as bored as he said he was.

* * *

Two reasons for writing this: 1) we haven't heard from these guys in a while and I thought it would be nice for them to have their own little humorous side-story and 2) after I had uploaded the last chapter and added it to the story, I proceeded to bash my head repeatedly against the keyboard because I had completely forgotten that I was going to have Shepard teach Ashley everything he learned from N7 training. I curse my inability to keep effective notes.

It started off serious and then…and then it just got weird. Right around the point where Joker started talking…

Saw Avatar the other day…it just…it just looked…*sniff*…so beautiful.


	45. Chapter 35: Ruined Planet

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«5.01: Attican Beta: Theseus System: Feros: Zhu's Hope: Docking Bay»

«or Ruined Planet»

Ashes and dust. Two words that sum up the surface of Feros, a once majestic planet where thousands of Protheans thrived. Like all other planets in their vast empire, they had all been completely wiped out. Only ruins remained, a legacy of their existence. Even now, 50,000 years later, their towering cities remained, spanning entire continents, reaching even the heavens with their size. But 50,000 years have passed since their former glory. Rubble and debris now cover the ground, filling the air with a choking cloud of dust and ash.

Descending down from orbit, the Normandy soared across the clouds, towards the only colony on the planet: Zhu's Hope. Built amongst the most stable parts of the city, the colony was small, hardly noticeable. Still, the ExoGeni Corporation funded it, so it had enough money to survive. For now at least.

The Normandy hovered in front of the docking bay, preparing for the normal procedure. As soon as it entered, the transit platform lowered itself, connecting itself to the doorway on the port side of the frigate. The rubber compressed itself around the door, sealing it. Safely connected, the Normandy groaned out its last and allowed itself to relax. It's engines died down and it touched the ground. Soon, its armored crew exited the ship and walked out onto the concrete docking bay. A small group of humans, an asari, a turian, a quarian and a krogan.

"Feros," Shepard muttered, looking around. "Finally." He popped his neck once as he moved the joints of his red and black armor.

"There's nobody here," Kaidan commented. "You'd think there'd be dockworkers."

"Must be all hiding," Ashley suggested. "I wouldn't go to work if we were under attack.

"Bullet marks all over the walls," Garrus said, gazing over them.

"Definitely the geth," Tali stated, standing beside the turian. "They were here."

"They may still be here," Wrex warned in a rough voice.

"Scanners aren't picking up anything," Tali replied. "But we should still be careful."

"Let's hope someone's still alive," Shepard said. "We need to know what's going on."

"Wait!" Tali warned. "I'm picking up movement ahead."

"Human?" Shepard asked, hand reaching for his pistol.

"Most likely," Tali replied. "He's stumbling around. Geth don't stumble."

Liara stayed in the back, not really comfortable wearing the armor they provided for her. But Dr. Chakwas insisted that she wear it for protection. In the end, she saw the logic to her fears. Still, these armors were awfully restrictive. She could hardly move as freely as she could with normal clothing on. But if it was to stay alive, she guessed she would have to bear with it. Sighing to herself, she watched as the human they saw ran up the causeway towards the group. Humans were always running to where they needed to go. Couldn't they at least stop and enjoy the scenery once in a while? But on Feros, she guessed there wasn't much to see.

"Hi!" the dark-skinned human shouted as he ran to a stop, trying to catch his breath.

"Take it easy," Shepard told him. "What's going on?"

"I'm David Al Talaqani," the human said in between breaths. "We saw your ship land so Fai Dan sent me to get you."

"Fai Dan? Who the hell's he?" Shepard asked.

"He's our leader," David replied. "He wants to have a word with you. The geth are about to make another push."

Liara continued to gaze around at the Prothean architecture. Or at least, with what was left of it. So much of it was gone now or destroyed. Years of thievery and ransacking have left their mark. She sighed and closed her eyes saddened by that fact.

It wasn't until she opened her eyes again that she noticed the geth taking aim.

"Geth!" Liara shouted, her biotics flaring awake in an instant. But an instant too late as a Shock Trooper fired a rocket at poor David. The missile shot straight into David's back, severing his spinal column. Then it exploded, splitting him in half, his legs squishing into the ground as his upper body flew into the air, entrails dangling behind.

Everyone reacted immediately. Liara quickly dashed behind a crate, slamming her back against cover. Gunfire was already beginning to resound throughout the building. Liara took deep breaths as she attempted to see where everyone else was. Shepard and Ashley were closest to the geth, taking cover behind concrete blocks. Both had their assault rifles out and were taking turns shooting. Beyond them, a squad of geth was hiding behind cover as well, trying to kill the organics.

Garrus was closest to the rear, using his sniper rifle to carefully line his shots. Beside him was Tali, alternating between shooting with her shotgun and trying to hack the cerebral network of the squad, disrupting their movements. Liara could tell that she was having problems though she didn't know why.

Behind Shepard and Ashley, taking cover on the sides of the walkway, were Wrex and Kaidan. Kaidan was using his biotics to crush some of the geth into the walls. He had a hard time succeeding, because the geth were very efficient in keeping him down behind cover. Wrex…well, the krogan was just trying to shoot them. And he seemed to be having fun doing it, though he also seemed frustrated by their efforts to…continue living, was the best way Liara could put it.

A bullet peppered her shield and she ducked behind cover again. Now wasn't the time to get distracted. She had to assist her teammates in any way possible. Looking around quickly, she spied a large concrete block with rebar sticking it out of it, like a giant wrecking ball of spikes. It'll have to do.

The geth never saw the giant wrecking machination of fate drop from the sky right on their flashlight heads.

"Nice," Shepard grinned as Wrex laughed at the sight.

Gunfire and explosions continued to fill the air as the squad pushed their way forward. Soon, though, there were no more enemies to fight, no more lights to destroy. Only sparkling wreckages and twitching machinery. Shepard stood up and looked around at the sight of carnage around him.

"Good workout," Shepard muttered, stretching his shoulder muscle. Shepard glanced behind him. "And Mr. Al Talaqani?"

"Dead," Garrus muttered, shaking his head at the sight.

Liara tentatively took a step forward. When she looked at the scene, she nearly vomited. She had seen dead bodies before but this…this was different. David's body was torn apart, his legs in one spot and his torso in a different part entirely. Blood leaked from both ends while smoke rose from the parts burned by the missile. His brown eyes stared up at the ceiling, in both shock and disbelief.

His hand suddenly spasmed.

"_**Eep!**_" Liara screeched and leapt backwards a step.

"What?" Garrus asked in confusion.

"Isthatisthatisthatisthat-!" Liara shouted. _**"Is that normal!**_"

"What, the twitching?" Kaidan asked.

"_**Yes, the twitching!"**_ Liara screamed at him.

"Yeah, that happens sometimes," Garrus said nonchalantly, checking the heat sink on his rifle.

"Watch, it's funnier when you poke him," Wrex stated. He proceeded to poke the body with a rebar, which responded by twitching. A small streak of blood gushed out.

"Wrex! Goddammit, have some respect!" Ashley shouted at him, threatening him with her rifle.

"No," Wrex replied, poking the body again.

"Enough!" Shepard ordered. "We need to go see this Fai Dan fellow. See what we're up against. Now."

Ashley and Kaidan nodded in response and started forward, weapons ready. Wrex tossed aside the rebar and casually followed them with Garrus and Tali following at their own pace.

Liara gulped and looked at the sight again. She gazed at David's round face and knew that he was a kind man. She wondered if he had any family to speak of. And now they were going to just leave him here in the dust and ash. Instinctively, Liara glanced around for something, anything. Covering some crates, she found a thick blanket tied down by ropes. She rushed towards the crates and tore the blanket off it with her biotics. She then laid the blanket down over the corpse, reverently and respectfully. She slowly stood up and began walking away. Liara looked up with surprise.

Shepard stared at her with his blue eyes of steel. His face was unreadable. After a moment, Shepard motioned for her to follow and he turned away.

Liara couldn't quite explain it, but for some reason, she felt he approved, even if he would never say it.

\::/::\::/::\::/

To say Zhu's Hope was a mess was an understatement. It was a disaster, pure and simple. Sparks flew from every mechanical device, fire burned in some of the pits to provide some semblance of warmth and people were busy doing their jobs. However, one of the most prominent features was the moans of pain and despair that rang through the air. It wasn't loud. But it was quiet either. It was one of those noises you ignore respectfully, like an abandoned child on the street. That's what Shepard thought of, any ways, after they let him in.

Liara looked back and forth at all the ruined faces. Countless faces that told such a sad tale. Rings under all of their eyes from lack of sleep, dirt and mud on their faces and gaunt faces from lack of food.

"They look like shit," Wrex grumbled.

"They've probably been fighting for days," Kaidan noted. "Weeks maybe."

"Commander?" Ashley asked, concern in her voice. Liara looked over at the Commander. He was staring at a young boy, no more than a toddler. He was covered in mud with white bandages covering his head. One spot on the bandage was drenched red. The boy wasn't crying. He had run out of tears. Now, he was helping fix a bulkhead with the adults.

"We've could've been here earlier," Shepard whispered. That was all he said before moving on. Liara sighed as she continued to look around. The toddler looked at her and Liara could tell that he was…dead inside. She nearly shuddered.

Shepard walked around the burnt out building and metal complexes. He soon heard a man shouting orders to others. He held an air of honor about him that made people listen to him. He was a balding man with a small, round face, but it had been hardened extensively.

"Fai Dan?" Shepard asked.

"Ah!" Fai Dan responded, turning away from the woman he was speaking to. He squinted slightly as he looked at the rank displayed on Shepard's shoulder. "Commander! I'm glad they finally sent somebody to help us."

"You're a little late though," the woman shot at Shepard, crossing her arms defiantly. Shepard stiffened slightly.

"Arcelia!" Fai Dan scolded. "I'm sorry, Commander. We're all on edge. Um…where's David? The man I sent to escort you?"

"Dead," Shepard said bluntly. "The geth got him."

"Shit!" Arcelia cursed. "I should have gone with him."

"That…that is unfortunate," Fai Dan sighed, rubbing his temples. Shepard thought he looked like he was in pain of some kind. "His son has no one to look after him now. Ah, I can't think about that now. You're here, so I have to make due."

"First, I need to know what we're dealing with," Shepard stated.

"Geth. Or did you miss the flashlight heads?" Arcelia said scornfully.

"Watch it, princess," Ashley warned.

"This isn't the time for-!" Fai Dan started. He didn't finish.

A bullet zipped through the air, colliding into Arcelia's shields with enough force to knock her onto her face. At the sound of the collision, Shepard quickly grabbed Fai Dan's head and shoved him onto the ground, using his other hand to grab his assault rifle. Ashley grabbed Arcelia's arm and dragged her into cover.

Shepard slammed his body into the wall around the doorway leading to the geth. Without looking, he aimed his rifle out and fired blindly into the stone hall. Kaidan appeared on the other side of the door with his pistol out and ready. His biotics flaring around his body, he nodded. Shepard nodded in response.

Shouting with exertion, Kaidan fired a biotic field through the hallway, knocking back the geth within. The impact sent shockwaves through the building, sending dust from the ceiling. The geth present were crushed. Shepard smiled and nodded his approval at Kaidan, who merely wiped blood from his nose. He hadn't exerted himself that much since Eden Prime.

"The geth have infiltrated the tower!" Fai Dan shouted, scanning his Omni-Tool. "If they get a foothold there, we won't be able to hold them off!"

"Sound's simple enough," Shepard stated. "We enter the tower and shoot anything that doesn't breathe."

"Simple enough," Kaidan agreed.

"Get off me! I'm fine!" Arcelia shrugged off Ashley's hand, who merely shook her head and held her hands in the air in frustration.

"Fai Dan, set up men around this doorway," Shepard ordered the man. "As many as you can spare. Tell them to guard this door. I don't a chance that some slip by us and attack the colony. If it isn't human, shoot them dead."

"Hey!" Tali and Garrus protested.

"Sorry! If it's got a flashlight for a head, kill it," Shepard ordered.

"Right away!" Fai Dan nodded and began issuing orders.

"Everyone else, fall in," Shepard ordered, turning around and walking straight into the hallway. He lead and everyone followed.

\::/::\::/::\::/

The dropship hovered over the hole in the ceiling, dropping squadron after squadron of geth onto the ground. They had all begun to set up, preparing to start their assault on the colony. It needed to be eradicated. Those were their orders. However, they had not heard from their scouting team. They must have heavier weaponry than at first assessed. Still, this would not stop them. They continued to move like worker bees, each working together to achieve their goal. One of the geth lifted a heavy crate with ease, moving it over to the transmitter. It suddenly shook violently as his shields overloaded and exploded. Then his head exploded as a bullet tore through his head.

Garrus smiled at his handiwork, a combination of his Omni-Tool and his sniper rifle, as he knelt down on his perch. Using nearby ladders, he was able to find a good spot where he could survey the entire battlefield. He quickly pulled back the bolt-action and reloaded. He peered through the scope and caught his next target. Something zipped by his scope and he followed the trail. Hoppers. Annoying little buggers. He followed one as he hopped back from one wall the next, seemingly at random. But, slowly, Garrus began to predict which wall it would land on next. On a hunch, he aimed at a wall and fired. The hopper landed and the bullet tore through its eye. Smiling, he pulled back the bolt-action and looked for another target.

Shepard jogged forward, firing all the while until he got into cover. The encampment was alive with gunfire, now that the geth realized they were under attack. He waited for a break in the gunfire. Their weapons had to overheat at some point. He had all the time in the world. There was silence and Shepard popped out of cover, firing at the nearest geth. He took down their shields and dropped back into cover. Before their shields could regenerate, Shepard tossed a grenade at them. Ducking behind cover, he pressed a button with his thumb on his Omni-Tool. The grenade exploded and there were 6 less geth in the universe.

Kaidan continued to fire, using his pistol and incendiary ammo to burn their metallic bodies. He ducked behind cover and prepared his Omni-Tool. He stood up and with a flick of his finger, overloaded the shields of a geth. Then with another flick of his other hand, he lifted the geth into the air. Biotics flaring, he threw the floating geth into more of his brethren. Another flick of his Omni-Tool and the flying geth became a flying time bomb as its weaponry was sabotaged. It exploded on impact, taking out several nearby geth.

Wrex fired his shotgun. Another geth fell. He fired again. The next one fell. He didn't need cover. Any of them got too close; he threw them violently against the wall, snapping their mechanical necks. He started taking damage; he put up a protective barrier. Against the walking geth, he had no equal. Except for those annoying gnats, the Hoppers. Giving out a cry of frustration, he rushed forward as a Hopper flew through the air. He reached out and tried to grab it but it slipped through his stubby fingers. Cursing under his breath, he felt heat as his shields were overloaded. He threw up a barrier and waited for a Hopper to come by. An unlucky one did, and he reached out, grabbing its head. Squeezing with victory, the Hopper's head popped and Wrex continued.

Tali already had two geth working for, their brains hacked, but she didn't get lazy. Using her shotgun, she gunned down any witless geth that would dare cross her path. Soon, though, the hacking wore off and the geth protecting her turned around and prepared to fire. Tali was an expert with her knife, however. She was taught by her mother. She danced between the gunfire and slashed both their necks. The fell to the ground in a heap of sparks, and their heads rolled away. A squad of geth leapt at her and she took a step back. She activated a program on her Omni-Tool and she waved her hand. A high-pitched signal emanated from her hand and their heads exploded. It was a simple program, but effective. One that Tali was quite proud of.

Liara didn't like gunfire. She hated explosions. But this was survival and she had to survive. The geth came but she threw them all back with a field that blasted some into oblivion. Keeping low to the ground, she ducked her head to avoid incoming fire. But with her biotics, she was attracting attention. She peeked her head out to see, but gunfire forced her back behind cover. Biting her lip, she felt frustration and anger well up within her. Using it, she reached out with her biotics and grabbed a squad of geth. Dangling them up in the air, she brought her hands closer together, crushing them all into a ball of twisted metal and electrified wires. She threw it with enough force to crush more geth. Always to crush more geth.

Ashley used her assault rifle to fight off more of the geth, but they were getting closer. Soon, they would be on top of her. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She thought back to the hours of grueling training she spent with Shepard. All to make her tougher and stronger. Now, it would seem, was her chance to see if it paid off. She broke cover and ran towards the last geth squad, firing straight and placing her shots carefully. One shot in the leg and they would crumble to the ground, unable to support themselves.

A geth brought its claw back and prepared to punch her in the face. Ashley sidestepped and shifted the rifle from her right hand to her left. With her right hand she guided the geth's punch and grabbed its wrist. Swinging her left arm, she brought the assault rifle around and straight into the geth's joint where the elbow was, breaking it instantly. Spinning around to the geth's back, she wrapped her arm around its neck. Using her body as leverage, she flipped the geth over her body and slammed its body on the ground. She finished it off with a few bullets in its flashlight head.

Two more geth circled her and she dropped her rifle to the ground. It was too large and cumbersome for close quarters combat. Instead, she took her pistol and gripped it tightly. The first one fired off a series of bullets, all of which peppered her shields. Ashley closed the distance and used her forearm to bring the pulse rifle up and away from her. She then lifted her leg and brought it down right on the geth's knee, snapping it. As the geth began to fall, she brought the pistol right into it's flashlight head and blew wires out the back of its head.

The last geth prepared to fire but it was alone and could not see behind it. Shepard walked up to it and twisted its head around 180 degrees. Then his knife cut it straight off without even a breath of exertion.

Shepard took a deep breath and looked around at the carnage. He wiped sweat from his brow.

"Tired, Commander?" Ashley asked with a smile.

"Hell no, Chief," Shepard answered with a grin. "This is just practice."

They laughed at that. Ashley looked around at the geth she killed and at her own hand. She had grown stronger than before. There was no doubt about that. And she knew she had Shepard to thank. Even though she had gotten to this point on her own two feet, Shepard had been there to support her every step of the way.

Above them, the drop ship lifted off the roof and began to drift away. However, it dropped off…a present for the group. It fell to the ground and landed behind where Shepard was standing. As soon as he heard the thud, he spun around and aimed his assault rifle. However, he wasn't fully prepared for what rose from the smoke.

The Geth Prime, Scar, unwrapped itself from the ball it created to lessen the effects of the impact and put its two giant legs beneath it. Slowly, it stretched himself up and straight, revealing its true height, which towered well over Wrex. At 12 feet tall, it was twice as massive as Shepard, who stood merely a foot away from it. Shepard strained his neck as he watched the Prime slowly straighten up, tensing its synthetic muscles. Across its chest gleamed a large cut that went from its shoulder down to its side. It's large, blue flashlight head flickered and turned on and Scar turned its attention to the little human beneath it.

Shepard-Commander, it realized. And it's eye turned from soft blue to hard red.

"Oh, this is gonna hurt," Shepard muttered as he realized what would come next. Nevertheless, he brought his rifle up and prepared to open fire.

Too slow. Scar shot its claw-hand out and grabbed his head. Bringing him forward, Scar slammed his body and head into the ground, exploding a small crater. Spinning around, Scar flung Shepard with all his might right into the wall. Shepard's body flew through the air with enough force to completely destroy part of the ceiling as soon as he hit the wall. The dust settled and Shepard slid down the wall, leaving a smear of blood like a trail. Rocks and concrete fell from the ceiling and landed on top of him, burying him underneath.

Ashley stood dumbfounded for a second. Then screamed in anger, running forward and grabbing her rifle from the ground. She fired off all the rounds she could while covering the distance between her and the Prime. The bullets fell upon its shields and harmed nothing. Scar bent its legs and held its arms out wide, preparing to welcome the puny human into its crushing embrace.

A large shot smashed into its shields causing it to nearly stumble. The Prime looked over its shoulder and plotted the trajectory of the shot, revealing where it came from. Near the roof stood a lone turian, sniper rifle in hand. Garrus, it's databanks realized. It would deal with the turian later.

A noise and the Prime spun its head back to Ashley. She had used Scar's leg as a stepping-stone to get up to its face. Launching herself forward, she smashed the butt of her rifle into the Prime's head, cracking it slightly. But not enough for its armor was stronger than those of the other geth. With lightning quick reactions, Scar grabbed Ashley's body out of the air and slammed it into the wall, sending cracks in all directions. Ashley's vision faded to black and air escaped her lungs.

Satisfied, Scar tossed the body away in a random direction. Wrex ran forward and caught her before she could hurt herself further. He growled angrily as she saw her unconscious body. Placing the body down lightly, Wrex ran towards the side, trying to find another way around.

Scar was already on the move. Like a cat, it sprang along the wall, digging his claws and feet into the concrete to support its weight. The entire squad was now shooting at the Prime, some were merely hitting its shields but most were just missing. For a 12-foot tall behemoth, it was surprisingly as agile as Hopper. And it was making his way towards Garrus.

Garrus knew of the impending threat but he kept his ground. He would continue firing until the last possible second, so as to keep as much firepower on it. Still, Scar pounded his limbs into the walls as he climbed upwards, closer and closer to his target with no hint of slowing down.

Eventually, Scar was nearly upon him. Taking a leap of faith, Garrus quickly ran and jumped off the perch, allowing himself to fall to the ground. He wasn't far so he would survive the landing. As he did, he managed to pull off another shot, which ricocheted harmlessly off Scar's shields.

But Garrus underestimated the processing powers of a geth prime, which ran close to the speed of light. Its reaction time was unmatchable and his ability to plot an intercept course was faster than any computer. As Garrus fell, Scar calculated where it would need to be to grab the turian. Without any hesitation (it could never feel that, anyways), it planted its feet on the wall and pushed off. Scar wrapped its claws around Garrus' body, gripping tightly. Garrus felt his armor pop at the strain. Scar brought his leg forward and planted them squarely on Garrus' chest.

Scar landed on the ground with a resounding boom, which shook the foundation of the millennia old tower. Underneath its feet, in a crater gasping for air, was Garrus. Scar analyzed the turian's body. It saw several broken bones, one piercing his lung, which had started to fill with water. Not enough to kill him, though. Scar brought its arm back to finish the job.

Kaidan roared as he lobbed a grenade at the behemoth.

Scar looked up, saw the grenade in the air, analyzed it, processed possible actions and shot its hand through the air with enough speed and precision to cut the grenade in half. More importantly, though, it cut trigger mechanism, making the grenade a dud.

As Scar cut the grenade, Garrus used the last of his strength and lifted his sniper rifle, placing the barrel right in Scar's face. Scar looked down at the barrel, analyzed the situation and reacted. As Garrus fired, Scar ducked out of the way, letting the bullet scrape the side of its head.

Kaidan rushed forward, biotics flaring. Following his lead, Liara summoned her biotics as well, blue fire dancing on both of their shoulders. Garrus let his arm drop to the ground, weakened immensely. He could hardly breathe with the foot digging into his chest.

Kaidan knew this and used all his willpower and might to generate a mass effect field large enough to attack the Prime. Yelling in anger, Kaidan launched the field forward, straight into Scar's body. It didn't hurt the geth in the slightest, but it did off balance it, taking his foot off of Garrus' body. Garrus took in a deep breath of air, struggling to breathe.

Tali took a chance and rushed forward, grabbing Garrus' body and hauling him onto his feet. Garrus yelled in pain but continued forward. Scar shook itself and saw the escaping turian. He was being helped by a quarian. A Creator.

"Liara!" Kaidan yelled as he generated another mass effect field. Liara added her field to his and together, they launched it straight at Scar. But it was ready. It slammed its limbs into the ground, refusing to be pushed back. The field slammed into the geth's body like a tsunami, threatening to tear its body apart. The ground around it broke and splintered, and the wall behind it vanished in a cloud of debris, but Scar refused to be moved.

When Liara and Kaidan released their fields, Scar stood on all fours, head bent down. It looked at them, red eye glowing menacingly, conveying one emotion (if that was even possible for a synthetic).

"Oh, shit, I think we just pissed it off," Kaidan stated, backing up and taking out his pistol. Liara back up, biotics flaring. That's when Wrex struck.

"_**Get over here!"**_ he roared as he ran up from behind. Wrex grabbed its leg and pulled. Scar twisted its body around and aimed a punch at the krogan's head. Wrex tilted its head down and the fist crashed into Wrex's head plate, hardly doing any damage and only served to enrage the krogan further. Grabbing the arm, he chomped down hard on the joint, crushing it within his mighty teeth.

Feeling no pain, Scar swung his other arm around to punch the krogan. Wrex blocked off the punch and smashed his head into Scar's stomach, forcing the geth to bend over forward, not from lack of air but because that was how his body was supposed to bend. It also unwillingly brought its head down low enough for Wrex. Wrex bent his body backwards again and slammed his head again into Scar's flashlight head, throwing off its optics for a moment.

A moment was all Wrex needed. With a terrible roar, Wrex grabbed Scar's head with both hands and twisted his body around. Slowly, Scar began to slide across the ground as Wrex twisted his body around and around. Soon, its head was wrapped tightly within the crook of his arm. Around and around Wrex spun the gigantic geth prime. As he built up momentum, Wrex roared once more.

Wrex released the Prime and it launched into the air, slamming through another wall and bringing down the ceiling right on top of it. With a triumphant roar, Wrex beat his chest furiously. The dust settled and silence fell over the group.

Kaidan was the first to move, as he ran towards Ashley's body, doing a quick scan with his Omni-Tool. She had a few sprains and bruises, but nothing too serious. She would make it. But that still left Shepard, still buried underneath all that rock and concrete.

"How's Garrus?" Kaidan yelled to Tali, who was checking on the turian.

"He's in bad shape," Tali replied. "One of his ribs is sticking into his lung. Medi-Gel is holding in the blood and I've stuck a tube in to help him breathe, but if we don't take him back to the Normandy for treatment…" She didn't need to finish.

"Pressly! This is Kaidan," Kaidan spoke into his radio. "We have wounded in need of immediate attention. Send a Med Team with Dr. Chakwas to Zhu's Hope. Make sure they have plenty of protection. Garrus and Ashley will be there shortly along with Tali and Liara."

"Right away," Pressly responded.

"And get some marines up to my location quickly," Kaidan added. "We need their help to dig Shepard out."

"Um…okay," Pressly sounded confused but he knew there wasn't time for questions.

Kaidan ran towards the pile of rocks that was Shepard's tomb for the second. Behind him, Liara was using her biotics to gently lift the two wounded, making sure not to move them around too much. Tali was assisting in any way she could, shotgun at the ready. Wrex merely sniffed the air. Something wasn't right and he felt it in his bones. He took his shotgun out and held it ready.

An explosion rocked the tower as rocks and concrete was flung effortlessly at the group. From the center of the explosion, Scar stood, a deadly silhouette with a single, glowing red eye. Like a man enraged, Scar clenched its hands, ready to kill again.

"You just don't die, do you?" Wrex grumbled. He started firing.

Its shields dead, the shotgun blast nearly knocked it off his feet, but Scar would not back down. Like a maddened lion, he ran forward on all fours, dodging this way and that away from the gunfire and towards the krogan.

With a sickening thud, Scar collided with the massive krogan. With no effort, Scar lifted him high into the air and slammed him down right into the ground, adding another crater to the landscape. But that wouldn't bring down a krogan, especially one like Wrex. However, Scar had no need for energy and it wouldn't get tired. Like a gorilla, the Prime slammed its fists down onto Wrex's chest, pummeling him with thousands of blows per minute.

"Liara! Get those two out of here! Take them back to Zhu's Hope!" Kaidan ordered as he ran forward, drawing his pistol. With only a nod, Liara tore herself away from the battle and ran for the exit, Garrus and Ashley floating in the air behind her. This was her job, now and she would perform it with as much excellence as she could.

Kaidan ran forward and knelt on the ground. He lifted the gun to his eye level and began firing at the geth. The bullets struck the Prime like little bug bites. It didn't hurt but it got its attention. Scar stopped what it was doing and looked up at the puny human, orange blood running down its fists. Kaidan didn't flinch as he continued firing.

Scar stood up and started to run forward with long strides. Kaidan waited and as the geth prime ran forward, Kaidan fired an overloading signal that disoriented the Prime for a moment. A moment was all he needed for when it stumbled, it was off-balance. Without hesitating, Kaidan launched a biotic field with a right hook. The field curved slightly and collided into Scar's body, throwing it to the side.

Tali ran towards it and fired her shotgun rounds as it flew through the air. All rounds caught it straight in the chest, shredding away the armor. Scar flipped in the air and landed on its feet with cat-like agility. With only a second of hesitation, Scar launched forward, trying to strike at Tali. Tali rolled to the side and fired again. Scar moved his fist around and tried to backhand the quarian. Tali pushed back and avoided the strike completely, firing another round into the geth.

Her shotgun overheated with the last round. Taking the opening, Scar stepped forward and towered over her as it punched forward. Tali dropped her shotgun and sidestepped while leaning low the ground. The fist scraped her mask but didn't break it and with her free hand, she unsheathed her mother's knife. With a quick jerk, she sliced one of the wires in its arm, causing it to stutter and spark.

Scar shook its head violently and punched with its other arm. Tali danced to the side, spun on the ball of her foot and slammed the knife into the Prime's side, spilling blue liquid on the ground. Scar let out a high pitched stutter of noises as Tali tore the blade out and danced back, knife at the ready. Scar took several steps back and analyzed the wound it its side. Superficial, it would survive. Scar analyzed the cut on its arm. Difficulty moving but it could adjust to the limitation. In an almost human motion, it slammed its fist into the palm of its other hand. Tali squinted when she saw this motion. Odd.

Scar rushed forward and Tali began her dance. Scar planted its hands on the ground and spun its body around, aiming deadly kicks that moved with enough force to destroy boulders. Tali moved with every muscle of her body, using everything to her advantage. She fell to the ground and let a kick fly over her face. She rolled upwards and onto her hands as another kick destroyed the ground she was on. She spun on her palms and rolled onto the ground, landing quickly on her feet. Each move was both graceful yet filled with strength.

Tali rushed forward as Scar aimed another punch at her. Tali spun with the punch and was inside his guard, where it couldn't possibly defend itself. Spinning the knife in her hand, she slammed the blade with a grunt into its chest. Then with another spin, she drew another mark on its chest, forming an X. Then with a series of kicks, Tali drove the Prime back. Finished, she hopped backwards and gave herself distance.

Scar looked from Tali to the new mark on its chest. It analyzed the mark. It compared the mark with the older one. It was then that Tali realized something terrifying. It was impossible but it was staring her right in the face.

Both marks looked exactly the same; both the old and the new one.

Scar looked and analyzed the blade the quarian held. It cross-referenced the mark with the same one that made the first mark. A perfect match. Scar knelt down and leaned in closer, causing Tali to bring her arms up to defend herself. Its eye had changed from a violent red to a…curious green. It seemed like the Prime was…studying her.

With a jerk of his hand, an image popped up from its wrist. It was the image of a female quarian standing at the ready, shotgun in her arms. Scratches and cuts littered her body, leaking in the outside air into her suit. Tali stared at the image and saw the similarity. On the quarian's right boot was a knife. Tali's knife.

"Mother?" Tali whispered in disbelief. Scar turned its head at the sound, analyzed the phonetic structure of the word, and looked up its meaning. Mother.

Scar jerked its hand back and the image disappeared. It took several steps back away from Tali. It looked…surprised.

"Is that my mother?" Tali asked, her voice barely audible.

Scar didn't know how to respond.

"How did you know my mother?" Tali asked, her voice rising in terror.

Scar stepped back, holding its arm up to its chest, trying to cover the mark.

"_**Tell me! How did you know my mother!"**_ Tali shouted, taking a step forward.

A red missile slammed right into Scar's face, causing it to stumble. Wrex stood up, wounds healing quickly. Kaidan stood beside him, having helped him out of the crater. Scar turned, blast marks covering its face. Its eye was violent red as it launched itself at the pair.

"_**Wait!"**_ Tali screamed, to no avail. Wrex was pissed as he continued firing round after round. Scar withstood the attacks and grabbed a nearby boulder, tossing it into the pair. Kaidan and Wrex leapt out of the way as the boulder exploded on the ground. Kaidan rolled onto his feet and continued firing with his pistol. Each shot was aimed and perfect, injuring different wires and parts. Scar shook off the attacks and concentrated on the krogan.

Wrex ran forward and tried to grab Scar. Scar lifted its hands and clasped them into Wrex's own. They pushed against each other with all their might, attempting to overpower the other. Wrex, however, was tired. Scar could not get tired. Executing a move it learned a minute ago, Scar bashed its head against Wrex's face, bloodying it instantly. Wrex gasped as he fell to his knees.

A shotgun round burned into Scar's side as Tali fired angrily. Kaidan was still firing at him with bug bites. Scar quickly took stock of his situation, analyzing his wounds. If he was quick, he could finish two of them off before he was forced to retreat. Scar ran forward and grabbed Kaidan by the throat. Spinning, Scar threw Kaidan at Tali, knocking them both to the ground.

Kaidan coughed as he massaged his throat. He rolled off of Tali and looked up. Scar stood above both of them, fist raised back, preparing to finish both of them off. Kaidan raised his pistol while Tali raised her shotgun.

Scar froze, a strange electronic sound resounding out of him. A new situation had emerged. Scar turned its head and looked behind him. Kaidan squinted his eyes and followed the geth's gaze.

Black-green smoke was rising from the pile of rubble that Shepard was under. It rose in the air, churning and swirling. A light was slowly revealing itself from within the rocks.

A green light.

On top of the rocks, the smoke coalesced into the shape of a familiar yet mysterious being. Everyone had seen it once before. Everyone except Scar. It was the same little girl, who looked only around 10. She was still burning as brilliantly as before, with a fire green with power. She stood on top of the rocks, fists clenched and eyes shut.

She opened them and fire burst out of her sockets.

The rocks began to rise into the air, passing through her body as it rose. She stared at Scar, who merely stared back with a curious green light in its eye. The rocks began to turn and swirl, forming a shield like barrier that spun.

She blinked and the rocks dropped onto the ground.

Slowly, a dark figure rose from the crater, blood dripping from his body. He stood up tall and proud. The girl turned to green vapor that collected itself around the figure. Like a lover, the vapor hugged itself around the dark figure. Soon, he was covered in a green, biotic glow.

Commander John Shepard opened his eyes, which were violently blue. He looked around at the lay of the land, seemingly in a daze. He looked down at his arms, which he noticed were blazing with green fire. He seemed…interested.

"So," he spoke. "I guess _this_ is what you guys were talking about."

He clenched his fists and then started in pain. He closed an eye and rubbed his temples.

"Damn, Kaidan," he groaned. "How the hell do you deal with these headaches?"

Kaidan didn't answer. Shepard looked up and saw the Geth Prime.

"So," he said angrily. "You're the geth that tried to kill me."

Scar turned around and prepared himself for battle.

Shepard had already crossed the distance and punched it in the head.

Sparks flew and metal shards exploded in all directions as Scar was thrown backwards. Kaidan blinked when he realized Shepard had crossed the distance of 10 feet in less than a second. It took him a moment to comprehend the speed he had moved at.

"Kaidan! Tali! Get your asses off the ground and help Wrex. He's tough but he needs Medi-Gel!" Shepard ordered, green fire blazing across his body.

"What about you?" Kaidan dared to ask.

"I can take care of this guy," Shepard replied simply.

"You sure?" Kaidan asked.

"Trust me," Shepard said, wincing as another spike of pain racked his brain.

Kaidan looked at him for a moment before nodding.

"Aye aye," Kaidan nodded. He turned and ran to Wrex, who breathing heavily on his hands and knees. Tali paused, staring at the Geth Prime, slowly standing up, shaking the rubble off its body. Scar's eye met with Tali's eyes, causing her to clench her hands into a fist.

"We're not done," Tali whispered angrily before she turned and rushed after Kaidan.

Shepard heard her but didn't ask what was going on. He had to focus on the Prime. He could feel the power within him fluctuating, growing stronger, than weaker. He could feel the power slip little by little. He didn't understand what it was or more importantly, where it came from. However, it was a tool he could use against this massive beast of a geth. He would hold onto it as long as he had to.

"You're lucky today, geth," Shepard declared. "If I could control this, I'd spend more time experimenting with it." Pain shot through his head and he groaned. He had to end this quickly. Grabbing his knife, he pulled it from its sheath and twirled it between his fingers. It would do.

Scar analyzed his new enemy. Biotic readings were off the charts, but unstable. It rose from being stronger than Tuvok's to being weaker than a child's. Scar flexed its fists and bent its knees, bracing itself.

It didn't even see Shepard rush forward and cut its leg. It only detected a flash of green light.

Everything seemed to slow down for Shepard. He couldn't explain it, but it did. He slashed at the geth's leg, spilling blue liquid in a spray. Shepard spun on his heel and stabbed its back, sending sparks everywhere. He jumped up high, grabbed the geth's shoulder and pulled himself up. Biotic fury welled up in his fist and he fired it downward. Sparks and shrapnel exploded as Scar's right arm came clean off. Shepard pushed off, flipped and landed on his feet.

Scar isolated the extent of the damage and quickly grabbed the remains of its arm. It could repair itself later with the proper parts. But now, it realized that it could not survive this battle. Acting solely on self-preservation, it plotted a suitable path of escape and took it. Suddenly, he was lifted into the air and lost control of its limbs. Like a rag doll, it hovered in the air.

"You're not running from me," Shepard declared, lifting an arm into the air. He could still feel the power slip away from him, but he held onto it as long as possible. He had to defeat this threat so it wouldn't pop up later. He had to-

Blood shot out his nose and he double over in pain. His head was exploding and thumping with blood. He held onto the power for too long. Scar fell to the ground with a thud and looked behind it. Shepard was cradling his head, screaming in pain. The biotic flames were flickering out, slowly dying. Scar analyzed the situation as well as its own body. Would he attack Shepard during this moment of weakness?

No. It was too badly damaged and it was running out of time. With a computer-like noise, it lunged forward, jumped over the wall and disappeared behind it, running deeper into the ruined Prothean city.

Shepard took several deep breaths, trying to lessen the pain, but it was excruciating. The sheer agony was unbearable, blood dripping from his face as his brain hemorrhaged from over use. His brain was on fire, thoughts racing through the pain.

"_**Why didn't you save me?"**_

War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death

Pain.

"_Don't worry-_

Shepard blinked.

___War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death_

Agony.

_-John," said the girl-_

**Reapers…**

_____War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death_

_-whose face was a bloody mess. "I'll-_

Anguish.

_-protect you."_

_-Prothean-_

Suffering.

_The bloody girl smiled warmly._

…**flee…**

___War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death_

Carnage.

_The bloody girl began to scream…_

…**for they will exterminate you all…**

Shepard breathed deeply, trying hard to keep it together. Tears and blood rolled down from his eyes. Memories from the dead past rushed forward, memories that he did not want. Still they came. Earthborn (_Jane)_. Colonist (_Haliat)_. Spacer _(Hannah)_. War Hero _(Peter)_. Ruthless _(Andrew)_. Sole Survivor _(James)_.

All dead memories now.

"_**Why couldn't I save you!"**_

_****_\::/::\::/::\::/

With red eyes, Tuvok surveyed the battle from above. High on a balcony, he peered over Shepard, who was kneeling in agony. Scar had retreated to fix itself. Tuvok had called him back to the ship, but Scar refused. He had a duty to annihilate humans and it would carry out this duty. Odd, that this geth would disobey an order. Then again, he wasn't Saren.

He opened a channel on his radio and turned away from the battle.

"Sir Saren," Tuvok said emotionlessly. "I have some new information on Shepard."

"What about him?" Saren asked over the channel.

"It's about his biotics," Tuvok continued, staring at the red-tinted sky. Always tinted red. "I've developed a theory."

"Go on," Saren said.

"Do you recall the Cerberus operation on Pragia?" Tuvok asked. "The one on unlocking biotic potential?"

"It was abandoned nearly 20 years ago," Saren replied. "Their subjects broke out."

"Only one subject escaped, to my knowledge," Tuvok corrected. "Basically, the idea was that they could unlock the biotic potential of a human child by inducing both physical and psychological trauma to the subject. Unlock the barriers of the human body and mind in this way. Anyways, I was witnessing the battle between Shepard's team and Scar. Shepard's was pretty much dead, but he was alive enough to summon his biotics. He's now on his knees screaming for some…unknown reason. Both physical and emotional."

"You think that Shepard has this power because of emotional trauma?" Saren suggested.

"Induced as a child," Tuvok clarified. "His past is a mystery, as you know. Someone named Jane seems important, but I still hold to my belief that this power isn't truly his. Not originally at least. It may not be important, but I believe this power was implanted into his brain and onto his body. Locked away in a dark corner of his mind, where he could never get to it. With each emotional trauma he received, barriers between this biotic power and his mind broke. And with each emotional trauma, the power became stronger and slowly, became his power."

Saren was silent, processing this. Finally he spoke.

"'Why' doesn't matter," Saren said. "It's useful information but useless right now. Keep to your duties and destroy that colony. Shepard does not discover the Cipher. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir Saren," Tuvok replied. The comm. channel cut off and Tuvok turned off the radio. With another look through blood-red eyes at blue skies he would never see, Tuvok faded from sight. He needed to keep an eye on Shepard.

* * *

Hey would you look at that? I live. Classes started up again and they're all just pains the ass. Plus, Mass Effect 2 came out and I have been…indisposed of. Last time I checked, it was still yesterday. Now its…next week. I've beaten it and I am starting up the New Game+ for funsies sake. I have to say, the wait was well worth it. I enjoyed it and I am still enjoying it.

The chapter's more action filled than dialogue driven. Mainly because I've been thinking about this one scene for ages and I was really excited to get it done. I'm proud of the results.

Seeing as Liara hasn't really been getting any chances to shine, I thought it'd be interesting to have most of this chapter be told from the point of view of our little blueberry. And yes, I say blueberry. Why? Because, as my friend so aptly put it when asked whom he slept with (in Mass Effect), he replied "I popped a blueberry." Fun times.

A lot of moves that Ashley pulls off were inspired by Batman: Arkham Asylum with a little bit of my Tae Kwon Do knowledge thrown in there. I don't really know how much strength you need to break someone's leg or arm (especially if its made of metal) but hey, it's all good.

Now sleepies.


	46. Chapter 36: Migraine

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«5.02: Attican Beta: Theseus System: Feros: Zhu's Hope: Med Bay»

«or Migraine»

Shepard awoke with a start, eyes alert to his surroundings. He was in a metal room of some kind. Unfamiliar. It wasn't the Normandy, but it was of human design. Probably Zhu's Hope then. He felt clothing on him, so he wasn't naked. It felt like a sleeveless shirt and some loose pants. But why was he here? The last thing he remembered was fighting that…geth. And then…his head still hurt from the exertion.

"Why the hell am I always the one ending up in the hospital bed?" Shepard asked.

"Because you're the one taking the most risks," Dr. Chakwas said simply. "Your own fault really. Using that power without knowing how to control it."

"So you say, doc," Shepard replied, groaning as he sat up.

"It's not all bad, John," Chakwas told him. "You're not alone this time. Ashley and Garrus are with you."

"All I know is pain," Garrus moaned, his chest wrapped in bandages.

"Walk it off, you pussy," Ashley growled, limping slightly as she walked over to Shepard's side. "How you feeling, Shepard?"

"Like molten lead is swirling around in my head," Shepard said, rubbing his temples. "But nothing serious. How bout you? You hurt?"

"Just my pride so nothing serious," Ashley said jokingly. Shepard knew that only part of her was joking.

"You couldn't have done anything against that thing," Shepard told her. "Hell, did you see how big that sucker was? He was twice the size of Wrex!"

"I know, Commander," Ashley said, smiling. "It's just…I hate being showed what I can't do."

"Eh, it happens," Shepard said nodding. "So, what's the situation?"

"Fai Dan wants to speak with you when you're able," Ashley replied, standing up while trying not to wince. "We drove off the geth this time around but we don't nearly have enough to hold off a second assault. So, Kaidan and the others are patching up the holes in the defenses."

"Good job," Shepard said. He pushed himself out of bed and nearly collapsed as he put weight on his feet.

"Did I say you were well enough to move!" Chakwas shouted, rushing over to Shepard's side. "You still need to rest. So sit your ass back down!"

"The hell I do," Shepard shot at her.

"You should listen to her, Shepard," Ashley agreed. "After the beating you took at the hands of that geth as well as the whole…biotic thing you had. It really did a number on you?"

"And if I can't help this colony, who will?" Shepard asked with such vehemence that Ashley recoiled. She watched as Shepard got onto his feet and wobbled a little, unsteady. She watched as Shepard walked towards the door and Ashley thought she caught of a glimpse of a scar she hadn't seen before. It looked like a small crevice in his back, but his shirt was covering most of it. Whatever it was, it looked bad.

"Don't take this away from me," was all Shepard said as he exited the room.

When he was gone, Chakwas sighed and sat back down in her chair, rubbing her forehead.

"That man is so stubborn," Chakwas sighed.

"They don't train us to be soft, doc," Ashley said, folding her arms.

"True, but I thought they at least trained you to listen to reason," Chakwas said.

"We're jarheads, doc," Ashley said with a weak smile. "We don't think. We just get the job done."

"True enough, I guess," Chakwas said shaking her head. "Do you know why he's pushing himself so hard on this mission? And I don't mean just Feros and Zhu's Hope. I mean the hunt for Saren and the Reapers."

"I figured it wasn't because he thought Saren was a threat," Ashley said.

"You are getting to know him a little," Chakwas said nodding. "He does see Saren as a force that needs to be reckoned with but that's not the entire reason he pushes himself. He thinks it'll bring him redemption."

"Redemption?" Ashley asked.

"Have you ever done something you regretted, Chief?" Chakwas asked rhetorically. "Something you could never fully redeem yourself for? Shepard has seen so many people die in front of him. He feels responsible for their lives. And I'm not just talking about Peter, Andrew and James. Other people in his life, before he joined the military. People he cared about. In his eyes, this quest to save the galaxy will make up for all the people, that in _his_ eyes, he's failed. Victory will grant salvation for him."

"Salvation from what?" Ashley asked. Chakwas turned to a datapad and tapped down a few notes.

"Himself," was all she said. "That's why he pushes himself so hard. That's why he's willing to die for this cause. Because, in his mind, it's a cause worth dying for."

\::/::\::/::\::/

Wrex lifted the giant slab of metal with relative ease, his muscles taut and glistening with sweat. With a grunt, he slammed it onto the hole in the wall and held it in place. Meanwhile, the quarian as well as some of the other colonists worked hard to weld the slab down. Wrex barely showed how much energy he was using, stoically doing his job.

"Done," Tali's filtered voice said with a sigh. Wrex let go of the slab and dusted off his hands. It wasn't perfect, but it could hold up against most attacks. "That should be enough."

"For now," Wrex grumbled before walking away. He stopped mid-stride as he almost ran over a small child. It looked up at Wrex with eyes full of wonder and awe. Wrex stared back with his reptilian eyes.

"Beat it before I eat you," was all Wrex told him. The child ran away immediately, bringing a chuckle to Wrex's scarred face.

"That wasn't very nice," Tali pointed out, crossing her arms.

"No, but it was damn near hilarious," Wrex replied.

"Guess I should have expected this then," Tali sighed, placing her hands on her hips.

"Hey, I'm just trying to keep interested," Wrex grumbled.

"You don't think helping these people is interesting work?" Tali asked.

"Not when they can easily help themselves," Wrex replied. "Conflict makes people stronger. Knowing when to avoid conflict makes people wiser. These colonists aren't avoiding this conflict. They stubbornly want to stay here, making them stupid. _And_ these people are relying on us to protect them. That makes them weaker. So forgive me if I'm not all up for the task."

Tali didn't want to admit it, but she couldn't disagree with Wrex. His logic was sound and it made sense. From a krogan standpoint, she guessed. So she just shook her head and busied herself with her next job.

"So," Wrex started. "Who was the geth?"

Tali froze. Her hand slowly clenched into a fist, which she forced to relax. But she couldn't. She had been tense ever since the fight. Anger was welling up from within, even though she tried so hard to control and contain it. And she didn't know why she was angry. All she knew was that it had something to do with that geth. The Prime.

"I don't know," Tali admitted, voice trembling slightly. "I don't know what that thing was. I don't know what it was doing with a holo of my mother. I don't know why it has a scar running down its chest made but the same knife as my mothers. I just don't know."

"You don't know and it pisses you off," Wrex said. "Use that when you face it again. But make sure you don't let it get away from you."

"You really think we'll face that thing again? Millions of geth and I'll come across that specific one?" Tali scoffed.

"Call it what you want," Wrex shrugged. "But every enemy we've come across are people we've all met before. People we all know. Ashley and Ellison. Kaidan and Vyrnnus. Garrus and Saleon. Liara and her mother."

"You and your father," Tali added. Wrex made no emotion.

"All I'm saying is," Wrex continued. "That's too big to be a coincidence. Now I don't believe in any kind of higher power. It distracts you from what's in front of your face. But there is definitely something bigger than us going on. Bigger than the Citadel, bigger than the Reapers, and bigger than all species in this galaxy. It's moving us all forward. All of us, even our enemies. I think we'll all meet again at some point. And whatever happens, it'll change our lives."

Tali was stunned by how…spiritual it sounded. From a krogan, no less. But, again, she had to agree. There was definitely something…pushing her forward. Maybe it was time doing what it did best, or maybe it was nothing. But whatever it was, she felt it within her soul that she would get another chance with that Prime. Maybe then she could get some answers. Still, she wanted answers now. She _needed_ it now. But now wasn't the time to think on that. She had to help the best that she could with the colony.

"Alright, gather 'round!" Shepard called, walking from his conference with Fai Dan. He wore his N7 armor that was colored black with red tints lining the arms and legs. Both this and his black hair gleamed in the bright sun while his blue eyes reflected light from the nearby fires. Both accentuated the scar that ran down his left eye. His knife was strapped to his arm, seemingly eager for blood.

Ashley and Garrus made their way towards the group, trying to hide their limp. Liara and Kaidan rounded the corner, both sweating from their exertions through biotics, Kaidan more than Liara. All were tired in their own way, but they all had to put that aside for now.

When the crew was gathered around him, Shepard knelt down and pressed a button on his Omni-Tool. A light burst from the console and formed into a holographic map of the area. Shepard squinted against the light and gritted his teeth. Kaidan saw this.

"Here's Zhu's Hope," Shepard began and the map followed accordingly. "Now, according to scans, the geth drop ship is in this Prothean tower. ExoGeni Corporations have made that their base of operations while they overlooked the funding and development of the colony."

"Any survivors?" Kaidan asked.

"Doubt it," Shepard replied. "Fai Dan says they lost communications with the tower shortly before the geth attacked the colony for the first time. For now, we assume there are none and deal with the geth. That said, getting there won't be easy."

"It never is," Garrus grumbled and winced at the pain in his side.

"The skyway is being guarded by the geth," Shepard explained. "Armatures, fire squads, such and such. Shouldn't be too much trouble for the Mako but it'll be slow getting there. Pressly says it should be simple to move the Mako to the entrance to the Skyway from here and Fai Dan says that he has men stationed there."

"What about the colonists?" Tali asked.

"They're barely holding together as it is, skipper," Ashley continued. "If the geth cut around us and attack, they won't be able to hold them off."

Shepard sighed and rubbed his temples. This wasn't helping the migraine.

"Fai Dan asked me that as well," Shepard said. He looked up at the crew. "Looks like most of you will be staying behind."

"Wonderful," Kaidan murmured. "I feel like I'm being chosen for basketball all over again."

"Don't worry, I've already decided who's staying," Shepard said as he stood up. "Kaidan and Liara will come with me. The rest of you stay here." Everyone nodded in agreement. Ashley, however, did not.

"Wait a second, Shepard!" Ashley exclaimed.

"That's final, Chief!" Shepard ordered. "I know you don't like it but suck it up! Fact of the matter is, you and Garrus are in no condition to fight. Garrus can barely breathe and you are no better."

"I can move fine!" Ashley nearly shouted. "My injuries aren't that bad! I can still fight!"

"I can hear you rasping for breath from here," Shepard countered. "Just because you're hiding your injuries doesn't mean they don't exist and that doesn't mean it affect your abilities. I need people who aren't going to bleed out a lung by running a mile. Now, are you going to obey my orders or is there going to be a problem?"

Shepard stared into Ashley's eyes, cold and distant. Soon, Ashley relented and stepped back.

"No, sir," Ashley said, gritting her teeth.

"Good," Shepard said nodding. Liara gulped inwardly at the tension. Ms. Williams didn't deserve that kind of treatment. Come to think of it, Shepard seemed much more…stressed since the attack. She wondered if he was feeling well. "Now, I've asked Fai Dan what the colony needs to survive and here's a list of what we've got. He tells me that there's a geth transmitter in the tunnels below the colony. It's relaying information to the drop ship. It'll give the colony some breathing room while we take out the geth at the tower."

"I take it you want me and Wrex to go down in the bacteria infested sewers?" Tali said crossing her arms.

"That's about the gist of it," Shepard said.

"Outstanding," Wrex muttered.

"Also," Shepard continued. "While you're down there, there are a couple of things you can do. Davin Reynolds, the man in charge of securing food for the colony, would like to replenish their supplies with varren meat, but with the geth and a male alpha varren in the area, that's almost impossible. So if you see an alpha varren, could you kill it?"

"What does it look like?" Tali asked.

"It's a big, red dog and it'll probably try to kill you," Shepard answered. "Secondly, May O'Connell is in charge of supplying energy to the colony. The generator she was working on failed and she needs some power supplies to get it running again. If you come across any power cells, take it to her. And lastly-"

"Always something more!" Wrex laughed in feigned astonishment.

"-Macha Doyle is trying to restart the water supplies," Shepard continued. "She says that the problem seems to be from the water valves being turned off. If you see any of these valves, just turn them back on."

"Great! Anything else?" Wrex asked angrily. Shepard thought for a moment.

"No, nothing," Shepard replied nonchalantly, pushing himself back onto his feet.

"You sure? You want me to get you some coffee while I'm at it? Or better yet, want me to dig a hole in the ground, pee on a nearby tree or play fetch? Should I get you my leash or should I just put it on myself?" Wrex asked with increasing anger and hostility.

"Do we _need_ to put you on a leash?" Ashley asked in turn, not even a hint of a smile on her face. Wrex spun towards her, anger written on his face and rage in his eyes.

"You can try, _human!_" Wrex growled, taking a step forward. Ashley took her own step forward, hand going to her side. Her pistol.

"_**That's enough!**_" Kaidan shouted as he stepped in between the two. All felt the friction in the air. "Wrex, I know you don't like the idea of being sent out on these mundane missions. But you agreed to obey all of Shepard's commands when you signed on for this. So either you carry out the job assigned to you or you go back on the ship. And Ashley, we're all tired and exhausted from our last battle but the last thing we need is everyone bouncing off the walls every time they're told to do something they don't like! Is that clear?"

Silence for moment before everyone nodded. Wrex grumbled something under his breath but nodded all the same. Ashley folded her arms across her chest and replied with a simple "Yes sir." Liara gulped quietly. She was certain Ms. Williams and Wrex were going to kill each other!

"Everyone, get your gear and get ready!" Shepard ordered. "We leave in 10 minutes. Dismissed." Slowly, they dispersed to get their things ready for their duties. Shepard and Kaidan were left alone in the middle of the square. Kaidan paced around slowly with his hands on his hips while Shepard stretched his shoulder once again.

"Thanks," Shepard muttered.

"Anytime, sir," Kaidan answered.

"Kaidan, when it's just you and me, skip the 'sir' crap," Shepard said wearily, rubbing his forehead. Kaidan frowned slightly, brow creased in worry.

"You all right, Shepard?" Kaidan asked, stepping forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You were pretty hard on Ashley. Plus, you've seemed…distracted." Shepard said nothing at first. His pride wouldn't let him.

"Damn migraine," Shepard muttered. "How the hell do you deal with these?"

"Plenty of water, pills and lots of sleep," Kaidan replied. "The more you live with them, the easier they become to manage. But, every now and then, one comes along that kicks you on your ass."

"Great," Shepard groaned.

"You really should rest, John," Kaidan said. "You look like hell."

"Kaidan," Shepard replied. "You should know that I just can't do that. This is nothing compared to what other people in my life have gone through. To admit that I can't go on because of some stupid headache when they've died for more is just shameful." Kaidan frowned.

"Well, at least take these pills," Kaidan said. He reached his hand into his pocket and took out a capsule. Opening it, he dropped two cylindrical pills onto his hand. "It should relieve you of some of the pain. Just until you can rest. Take it or else I'll force feed it down your throat."

Shepard sighed and took the pills. With one gulp, he swallowed both of them down. He shook his head and blinked.

"Satisfied, mother?" Shepard asked sarcastically.

"Yup," Kaidan replied. Together, they walked towards the elevator. Shepard grabbed his rifled and reloaded while Kaidan checked his pistol.

* * *

New chapter. More exposition than actual plot but it's getting somewhere, I guess. Come to think of it, I haven't written a chapter this short since…who knows.

Halo Legends is awesome. Get it. Watch it. Love it. Now. Do it.

On a more personal note, my dog has cancerous tumors in his body. One is in his spine, causing him to no longer be able to walk with his hind legs. We literally have to pick him up and carry him around the house and outside. He'll probably have to be euthanized. One reason is because it's causing him too much pain. And two…personally, I can't stand watching the dog I've watched grow up since he was born go through the indignity of not being able to walk on his own. This is the dog that constantly loved to jump on people, even when he was going on 13 years of age. I can't stand watching him be in so much pain. And I'd like to think he doesn't want to be like that.

If I were a religious person, I'd probably ask for your prayers. But I'm not and prayers are something I don't need right now.


	47. Chapter 37: Behavioral Analysis

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«5.03: Attican Beta: Theseus System: Feros: Zhu's Hope»

«or Behavioral Analysis»

"Enemy geth ahead," Hal emotionlessly stated. "One armature class and three shock troopers. Recommend caution."

"_**Thank you, Hal! I didn't fucking notice!**_" Shepard shouted, feeling the metallic bodies being crushed beneath his wheels with an almost sickening crack. Almost sickening. Grunting, he turned the wheel harshly, avoiding the armature's siege pulse, which threatened to disable the Mako.

"I am merely carrying out my programmed directives, Commander," Hal replied. "If this displeases you, then please speak to Miss Tali on the matter. Firing main cannon." The Mako lurched as the cannon fired a single shot, which tore across the air, ripping through one of the armature's legs and plowing through a shock trooper's chest, destroying it.

"_**Don't get smart with me!**_" Shepard shouted again, pulling a hard right, wheels screeching over the edge. Cursing under his breath, Shepard pulled on the thrusters. The Mako jumped up in the air and back onto the skyway.

"I am only stating facts, Commander," Hal noted. "I did not mean to be 'smart.' However, I must also ask if you are feeling all right? I had assumed that a soldier with your renown would be able to deal with stress well. However, it seems that you may have problems with anger management. Or I may simply not have enough data to formulate other options." The machine gun turret blasted away the remaining geth, tearing them all to shreds. Only the damaged Armature remained.

"Yeah, we already know he's got anger management problems," Kaidan responded, his voice bearing no sense of panic for he wasn't panicking. "We already have to get another toaster for the Normandy."

"_**That fucking thing burned my toast!"**_ Shepard screamed.

Liara merely sat in her chair, hands on her legs and back completely straight. Only a bead of sweat tracing her cheek betrayed her terror.

Kaidan sighed to himself. He knew the real reason for Shepard's short-temper: his migraine was making it difficult for him to concentrate. Kaidan could empathize, having gone through the same pains before. The pills Kaidan gave him were probably not working as well as he hoped. Shepard's biotics were on a whole other scale than Kaidan's, which could probably lead to increased migraines. That would probably call for stronger medicine to deal with it. Or at least learn to control his biotics.

From what he could tell from before, the biotic output Shepard was emitting was sporadic, switching between incredibly weak to unbelievably strong. This in turn was putting more strain on the brain, causing increased migraines and nosebleeds. He would have to deal with these new biotic powers soon. But not now. They had a mission to do now. Shepard would have to grit through the pain for now.

Besides, Kaidan felt that watching Shepard vent out his frustration was the closest thing to an in-flight movie he's seen in a long time.

"_**Right in the kisser! Ha!"**_ Shepard was screaming.

Liara said nothing. Another bead of sweat joined the first one.

Soon, though, there were no more enemies to fight. So, silently, Shepard drove the Mako along the Prothean skyway, taking periodic checks on its systems. Kaidan merely stared out the window at the Prothean landscape, while Liara sat stock-still.

"Commander, I am receiving a transmission," Hal's emotionless voice broke the silence. "It does not appear to be directed at any particular location which makes the source difficult to locate."

"Let me listen in," Shepard ordered, pressing certain buttons.

"Just a moment," Hal said. A moment later, a woman's voice came on.

"_Any sign of movement?_" the woman's voice, filled with concern, sounded elderly, yet full of life.

"More colonists?" Shepard wondered.

"Can't be," Kaidan said. "The only colony on Feros is Zhu's Hope."

"Survivors from ExoGeni?" Shepard pondered.

"That's much more likely," Kaidan agreed.

"_That's my daughter you're talking about!"_ the woman's voice continued. Shepard scratched the scar on his left eye unconsciously.

"Hal, try to get a lock on their location," Shepard ordered. "It's likely we'll run into them as we head towards the headquarters."

"Acknowledged , Commander," Hal replied.

Shepard drove the Mako further up the skyway, keeping his eyes peeled for geth. Mostly, though, he was trying to ignore the headache. It had gotten worse and Kaidan's pills weren't helping. Just had to keep moving. Think of other things. Liara hadn't said a word since they engaged in combat. He wondered why.

"_We've got movement! Some kind of vehicle," _the woman's voice sounded again.

"Must be close if they saw us," Kaidan noted.

"Yes. Turn left up ahead and you will find them," Hal confirmed.

"Alright, let's get outside," Shepard ordered.

The top of the Mako opened and Kaidan stepped out. He looked around, looking for potential threats. Seeing none, he nonetheless stepped off the vehicle and drew his pistol when he landed. Shepard grunted when he landed, bending his knees to absorb impact. Standing up straight, he stretched his arms. Both were relaxed and composed. Liara, however, was not. As soon as she landed, she stood stock-still and walked towards a nearby wall. There, she elegantly vomited.

"Ah, shit," Shepard groaned. Sighing, he walked over to her, while Kaidan politely turned his back. Gently, Shepard began rubbing her back. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Liara gurgled, suppressing a burp. "I…I've never been inside the Mako…while under fire. It was…terrifying." Shepard sighed. He should have guessed.

"Sorry," Shepard found himself apologizing. Why? "The Mako handles like shit. And I keep forgetting that you aren't military trained. Soldiers are used to this kind of stuff. I'm sorry."

"Do not worry," Liara smiled. "Like you said. I just need to get used to it."

Shepard smiled at her determination.

Beside the road was an inclined plane that extended downwards. Lights emanated from within and shadows moved, signally life forms. Unconcerned, Shepard called down.

"This is Commander Shepard," his voice boomed. "If anything tries to kill us, we won't hesitate to kill them back. So, if your friendly, I suggest you make it known soon before I lob a few grenades down there." The answer came swiftly.

"If you are who you say you are, then you wouldn't mind throwing down your weapons!" a stuttering voice came from within. Shepard heard weapons click as men lined their shots. Shepard could feel their eyes tracing him. It didn't concern him at all.

"Your either pretty damn bold or pretty damn stupid to reject help from the Alliance. And a Spectre," Shepard called. "And judging from your voice, I think it's the latter."

"Relax, Jeong! They're obviously not geth!" came the woman's voice. The same elderly voice from the radio. Shepard looked at his companions and jerked his head slightly. Together they walked down, Shepard placing his arms behind his head, stretching his stomach.

The camp was sparse, emptier than Zhu's Hope. Their desks were concrete blocks, and all electronic work was done on Omni-Tools or not at all. Some executives seemed to be huddled in the corner. This campsite had more security guards than Zhu's Hope, however. And they all had weapons pointed at the trio.

"St-Stay where you are! Don't come any closer!" Jeong ordered. Or at least try to. The moment he laid eyes on the man, Shepard was not impressed. This wasn't a leader. Just the next guy in the chain that was still alive.

"I suggest you put those weapons away unless you intend to use it," Shepard said casually.

"Jeong, we don't need this right now!" the woman told him forcefully. "We already have enough problems."

"You trust too easily, Juliana," Jeong chastised her. "We don't know who any of these people are! For all we know, they could be working for the geth or worse."

"What could be worse than geth?" Liara asked, sighing.

"If I was geth, I wouldn't bother trying to talk to you," Shepard continued. "I'd just kill you."

"That's not exactly helping us, Commander," Kaidan whispered.

"What? It's the truth," Shepard replied. "Listen, I know you guys are on edge with these attacks. I'm heading towards the ExoGeni building to take out the geth and try to find out what they're after."

"You see, Jeong? They're here to help us," Juliana said, crossing her arms. Jeong didn't look convinced yet.

"So, I suggest you call off your men before their trying to impress you gets them killed," Shepard ordered. The men shifted nervously, unsure of what to do. Jeong sweated visibly.

"Stand down," Jeong ordered. "Weapons down. Now." They complied and holstered their weapons before stepping back.

"Good," Shepard said. "Now lets try to keep this civil, shall we?"

"Don't worry about him," Juliana told him, walking up to Shepard. "He only cares about the company. I, for one, am glad to see a friendly face. I thought we were the only humans left on this planet."

"And you would be wrong," Shepard retorted.

"Fai Dan and some of the civilians of Zhu's Hope are still alive," Liara told them. Juliana's eyes widened, then turned to Jeong.

"I thought you said they were all dead!" Juliana accused angrily.

"I said they were _probably_ all dead!" Jeong replied defensively.

"They're alive, but the geth have hit them hard," Kaidan explained.

"Just tell me if we're close to their base," Shepard asked.

"Yes, you're almost there," Juliana replied. "Just further up the skyway to the ExoGeni headquarters."

"Those are ExoGeni private property, soldier," Jeong tried to say in a superior tone. He failed. "Remove the geth and nothing else."

"I don't know what's funnier," Shepard said crossing his arms. "The fact that you're more worried about your company's skin then your own life, or the fact that you think you can order me around."

"Shepard, don't push it," Kaidan warned. Shepard just rolled his eyes and continued.

"Is there any reason why the geth would attack Zhu's Hope?" Shepard asked.

"I have no idea," Juliana said, shaking her head. "They don't to have anything of any use. Something ExoGeni is _keen_ to remind us of." Jeong rolled his eyes.

"You know, if you wanted to, you could regroup at Zhu's Hope," Kaidan offered. "They're relatively more secured now."

"N-N-N-No," Jeong stuttered nervously. "I don't think that's a good idea. We have, we have no vehicles and the skyway offers little protection."

There was a small quake, shaking dirt and dust from the ceiling.

"Like the building we're in now?" Juliana said, glaring at Jeong.

"I just think it'll be safer to wait for company reinforcements," Jeong stated hopefully. "They'll come eventually!"

"Yeah, you go do that. See what happens," Shepard's sarcasm was thick.

"Commander, before you go," Juliana started. "My daughter, Lizbeth…she's missing."

"They shouldn't waste their time looking for her," Jeong interrupted with a smirk. "We can do a proper accounting of our casualties after the geth are gone."

Kaidan watched as Shepard's face changed from frustration to pure revulsion.

"Oh, you are just the worst kind of person, aren't you?" Shepard muttered.

"That's my daughter you're talking about!" Juliana exclaimed angrily. "She's alive. I know it."

"You know where she is?" Shepard asked.

"All I know is that she was in the ExoGeni building when the geth attacked. She's probably still there," Juliana explained.

"Oh yeah, there are many places she could hide!" Jeong said sarcastically. "For a short time." Shepard was beginning to severely dislike this little man. He felt his knife begin to itch softly. Or maybe that was his head.

"Yeah, you? You don't get to talk anymore," Shepard told him angrily. He turned to Lizbeth. "If I find her, I'll do everything I can to keep her safe. But I'm not here to babysit."

"I understand," Juliana said. "Just keep her safe."

"I will," Shepard said before turning around. He stopped midstride. "Say if you have any water you can spare, may we have some?"

"What? Why?" Jeong asked suspiciously.

"Because it's hot and I'm dehydrated. When I'm dehydrated, I get a headache! When I have a headache, I get frustrated! When I get frustrated, **I get trigger happy!**" Shepard vented, nearly causing some of the guards to pick up their weapons again. Jeong merely gulped and complied.

When they reached the Mako, Shepard tossed the water bottle to Liara, who caught it awkwardly. He hadn't even taken a sip.

"Rinse your mouth out or else the taste of vomit will stick to your tongue," Shepard said before entering the Mako.

Liara watched this rare moment of kindness and concern with a stunned silence. Slowly, she smiled a rare sort of smile reserved for only a special feeling, though she didn't know what feeling it could have been. She took a sip from the bottle, rinsed her mouth and spat it out onto the ground. Attaching it to her belt, she entered the dreaded Mako.

Once again, it drove off into battle.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Garrus winced as he tried to sit up straight, sniper rifle resting against his shoulder. His sides ached and he found it hard to breathe at times. But he was managing well enough with the stimulants Dr. Chakwas gave him. He was able to work without much trouble but he avoided demanding work. Not because he was lazy. He'd just prefer not to have a, how did Shepard put it again? 'A crazy grandmotherly figure chasing after him with a hacksaw, demanding he listen to what she said or else he would pay the consequences?' That sounded about right. Garrus wasn't entirely sure what a hacksaw had to do with Dr. Chakwas but he listened to Shepard's advice all the same.

Leaning on his sniper rifle, he gazed around at the humans, all of them working together to survive. Despite all the hardships they've had to endure recently, they could still find the strength to work through all of it.

"How you holding up?" Ashley asked, walking up to him.

"Well enough," Garrus replied. "I've had worse before though."

"Well, look after yourself," Ashley stated curtly. "I don't need you bursting a lung on me…you do have…never mind." She began to walk away and Garrus couldn't help but chuckle.

"If you mean turians, yes, we have lungs," Garrus replied, chuckling (and hurting his sides in the process). "We breathe oxygen just like humans do. We just can't eat the same foods as you. That's all."

Ashley said nothing. Garrus shook his head. It's been like that for a while, this tension between them. Ashley always seemed angry to Garrus whenever she looked over at him. Whenever she talked to him, it was always short, abrupt words that barely left any room for conversation.

"You don't care much for aliens, do you?" Garrus stated, groaning as he sat on a nearby rock.

"Whatever gave you that impression?" Ashley asked. She didn't sound very convincing.

"I've been around humans many times," Garrus continued. "Comes with being a C-Sec officer. I've heard it all. So if you're worried about offending me, don't. Just be honest with me. That's all I ask." Ashley looked over her shoulder while Garrus placed the sniper rifle under his hands, resting his cheek against the butt of the rifle.

"I don't really know how to explain this," Ashley began, rubbing the back of her neck. "I don't trust aliens."

"Okay," Garrus replied. No surprise there.

"Maybe its because you aren't…like humans or what," Ashley continued. "But I don't trust the members of the Council to remain friendly with humans, no matter how many nice things they give us. In the end, everyone is looking out for his or her own skin. Say that you're walking out in the woods with your dog and you come across a feral bear. Your options are to stay there and die, or sick your dog on it and run. No matter how much you love your dog, it isn't human. You're going to sick him on the bear every time." Ashley let the words sink in and Garrus thought about what she said, carefully understanding her meaning.

"So you're comparing me to a dog then?" Garrus asked.

"What? No!" Ashley exclaimed.

"I'm kidding," Garrus chuckled. "But I understand. The turians will look after the turians, the salarians will look out for the salarians and the asari…well, the asari would actually try to look out for everyone but that's different. In the end, most people will look after people who are familiar to them over complete strangers."

"Probably should have said that, then," Ashley said. Silence passed over them uninterrupted except for sounds of drills and hammers. Garrus let out a chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Ashley asked.

"It's nothing," Garrus said. Ashley glared at him. "Fine, but don't be offended by it. From what I can tell, humans have had a history of being wary of people they don't know. What was it I was reading the other day…McCarthyism?"

"The Red Scare," Ashley said.

"Yeah, that," Garrus said. "If someone was even hinted at being a…"

"Communist," Ashley continued for him.

"…a Communist," Garrus pronounced the word hesitantly. "Then everyone turned against him. Same goes for the Salem Witch Trials, the list goes on. From what I've seen, humans are the only species in the galaxy that are mistrustful of other people. And I don't mean to be cruel when I say that."

"No, I see your point," Ashley nodded. "But what about the Unification War? Seems to me that the turians in the outer colonies attacked one those who weren't part of their colony."

"That's true, I guess," Garrus said, rubbing his head. "They started fighting because the Hierarchy distanced itself from the colonies. Without the Hierarchy, the colonies were left to fend for themselves. This isolation, perhaps, led to the war. But your species hasn't been isolated. Quite the opposite. To me, it seems the more you work together, the more you distrust each other."

"That's true of all species," Ashley stated.

"It's common in all species, but in theory, this isn't so in turian society," Garrus replied. "Everyone works together for the greater good. At birth, we're all instilled with a sense of public service. Sacrificing our needs for the needs of the group comes naturally."

"Humans can sacrifice for the greater good," Ashley said. "It's just rarer, I guess. I admit, we're an individualistic species. Everyone is different and everyone wants different things. It's rare to find someone who is willing to give up an arm and a leg and expect nothing in return. Still, when someone like that does come along, they're admired greatly."

"Like your soldiers," Garrus said. "The Alliance military is the perfect example of this."

"Thanks…I guess," Ashley replied.

Silence fell for a moment.

"I guess we could argue this all day but we wouldn't get anywhere," Ashley noted.

"Yeah," Garrus chuckled. Ashley probably just didn't want to talk about it anymore, he guessed. "Forget I said anything."

"Done," Ashley replied. A gust of wind blew through her hair as she surveyed the colony or what was left of it.

"Have Tali and Wrex entered the tunnels?" Garrus asked.

"Yep," Ashley answered.

"Oh," Garrus replied. "Good. That's good."

"Yep," Ashley responded.

Garrus couldn't help but think how awkward this was. Judging from Ashley's stony face, Ashley thought so as well. He had to leave. This was…just uncomfortable. With a groan, he pushed himself back up.

"I'll go see how everyone's doing," Garrus stated. "Need to stretch my legs anyways."

"Don't bust a lung," Ashley replied.

"Can't make any promises," Garrus said over his shoulder.

First stop on Garrus' tour was Davin Reynolds, the man in charge of their food supplies. He sat on one of the bunk beds, cleaning the weaponry and equipment. He seemed a military man, or at least familiar with firearms. Garrus knocked on the door and entered.

"Garrus!" Reynolds exclaimed, concern in his voice. "How're you feeling?"

"Better than I was," Garrus told him. "I just came to check up on the colonists."

"Well, we've been better," Reynolds said. "We're just civilians, we're not used to this kind of fighting. But we get by as best we can. Busy ourselves with work. Helps us not think about…death, I guess."

"You are not going to die," Garrus reassured him. "We'll help you get through this. It'll all work out."

"Heh. I wish I had your confidence," Reynolds chuckled. "For now, I'm just busying myself with trying to restore our food supplies."

"Don't worry about that," Garrus said. "Wrex and Tali are more than capable of taking care of a few varren. Wrex especially."

"Really? He seemed dead set against it," Reynolds noticed.

"Don't take that personally," Garrus replied. "He loves a good fight, but he doesn't like being forced into one he can easily avoid. 'The best fights always come to you,' he says. Besides, I don't think he considers varren a real threat."

"I hope your right," Reynolds said, returning to his work. Garrus watched him for a moment.

"So tell me about yourself," Garrus asked. Reynolds looked up with…surprise. Why surprise?

"What's there to tell?" Reynolds said. "My wife, Greta and I came here looking for a better life. Instead, we find ourselves under attack by the geth. Now, she's out there fighting the geth and I'm-_ah!"_

Reynolds suddenly shouted, dropping his rifle and grabbing his head. Garrus limped to his side and took his shoulder. Reynolds was shaking almost violently, his face contorted in pain, teeth gritted in agony.

"What's wrong?" Garrus asked. "Are you alright?"

"Ah, it's fine!" Reynolds exclaimed, face normal, as if nothing had happened. Just a bead of sweat betrayed that anything had happened.

"Are you sure? Perhaps you should go see Dr. Chakwas," Garrus suggested.

"No, it's fine, really," Reynolds reassured him. "Just…haven't had much sleep. Probably a little malnourished. I'm fine now. If I continue working on replenishing our food supplies, the pain goes away. So I'm gonna keep working at it."

Garrus looked at him for a moment, concern on his face.

"Alright," Garrus finally said. "But don't strain yourself."

"I won't, don't worry!" Reynolds smiled.

Garrus' second stop was outside, where a woman stood working on a control panel. She was of asian ethnicity, Garrus guessed, though he wasn't entirely sure if humans still held strong feelings for what ethnicity they were. It was probably replaced by a strong sense of pride for their colony, though he wasn't entirely sure.

"Hello, ma'am," Garrus said politely.

"Hello," the woman replied. "You're Garrus, right? The turian that arrived with the Alliance ship? I have to say, I was glad when Fai Dan said you guys were coming. I would have preferred a larger force but beggars can't be choosers. I'm Hana. Hana Murakami."

"How're you doing?" Garrus asked.

"Could be better," Hana stated, shrugging. "Still pissed at Ledra."

"Ledra?" Garrus asked. Didn't sound like a human name.

"The salarian that led us here. He's over by the freighter, trying to sell his goods. Opportunistic bastard," Hana scoffed. Garrus turned his head and followed her gesture. Sure enough, he saw the salarian trying to sell things to Ashley, who merely stared quizzically at salarian, probably in disbelief at the absurdity of what he was attempting to do. "He promised the crew of the Borealis that there would be profit made here. That was, of course, before the geth showed up. Then everything went to hell."

"Odd," Garrus shrugged. "So, what do you do here?"

"Oh, I'm working on calibrating the Borealis' systems," Hana said quickly. "You know, just in case we need to book it. I don't really see the need to though."

"Why not? Seems like a logical precaution," Garrus inquired.

"I know it is, but…" Hana trailed off, her eyes acquiring a faraway look. "It'll be hard to leave here. We've been here for a while now and…to tell you the truth, I can't imagine leaving here. I guess it's grown on me. This place has grown on all of us. As much as we didn't plan on it, this place has become our home now. And we need to fight to protect it. Or die trying I guess."

Garrus looked at her for a moment, sympathizing. Then sighed and took a step forward.

"Then do you need help with anything? I'm good with tech," Garrus asked politely.

Hana didn't say no. She didn't say anything as Garrus reached up, Omni-Tool glowing around his arm. Instead, she leapt straight in front of the console and spread her arms wide, fists clenched and face contorted in a small snarl. Garrus froze and nearly tripped as he stepped backwards. He then noticed that two guards had stood up from their seats nearby and were walking towards him, eyes seeming to glow as their rifles gleamed in the sunlight. Their fingers were a hair's breadth from the trigger.

"Garrus, can I talk to you for a moment?" Ashley called. Garrus' eyes didn't leave the three people, Hana and the two soldiers. Their eyes didn't leave his. A feeling swept over the turian as he backed away, smiling weakly. The feeling told him that they would kill him if they had to.

"Please tell me you saw that," Garrus said.

"Yeah," Ashley responded. Though, she admitted to herself, if it weren't for Shepard's training, she probably wouldn't have.

"What the hell's going on?" Garrus asked. "Come to think of it, everyone's been acting strange."

"Could be stress," Ashley said. "Shell shock. Any number of reasons could explain the pain in their heads."

"Yeah, but everyone having pains in their heads, especially the soldiers?" Garrus asked. "We've watched them since Shepard left. You know as well as I do that they aren't normal. This isn't simple shock."

"I know," Ashley sighed, rubbing her head. "It doesn't make any sense. Shock wouldn't cause people to hurt those around them, could it? Those soldiers were ready to shoot you. You saw."

"Dammit, should we contact Shepard?" Garrus asked.

"No," Ashley said. "We don't have anything to go on right now. For all we know, this is nothing. However, we should probably ask Dr. Chakwas about this. And move her back onto the ship."

"Let's do that. They're giving us the evil eye," Garrus shuddered.

With only a single glance back at the soldiers and Hana, Garrus limped behind Ashley as they walked to the Med-Bay. Garrus rounded the corner and saw a little boy. To be precise, it was the little boy that Wrex scarred off, though Garrus didn't know it. He had shabby blonde hair and deep brown eyes. His pudgy cheeks were covered in dirt and oil but his thick lips glistened.

They stared at each other for only a moment. Then the boy turned and disappeared behind debris. Garrus gulped and followed closely behind Ashley.

* * *

Shepard doesn't like Jeong that much.

Did ya like my April fools joke? And I cannot stress _**joke**_ any harder. It was for funsies. I just kind of sat down and started typing about whatever came to mind. It got weird after page 3. Anyways, if some of you guys have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about, I played a prank on the previous chapter. People thought it was a new chapter when instead they took a walk through my twisted and sickening brain (haha). If your curious, I'll post it as a separate story and you'll view it there.

I posted a video on my YouTube account! Yay! A music video for Mass Effect 2! With a song from Wintersun! I'm proud of it. If you're too lazy to search for it then tell me and I'll send you a link.

I'm out of things to say…


	48. Chapter 38: Barriers and Sewers

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«5.04: Attican Beta: Theseus System: Feros: ExoGeni (Main Level)»

«or Barriers and Sewers»

The squad walked slowly down the ramp, leading to an underground tunnel of some kind. They had arrived at the ExoGeni tower, though not without injuries which were mainly located on the Mako, though Hal didn't complain. However, when they tried to enter, they came across another problem, besides the numerous geth that inhabited the building.

"Stupid fucking geth with their fucking barrier," Shepard muttered under his breath.

"Nothing ever goes the way we want it to, huh?" Kaidan commented, mainly to himself.

"The universe has a fucking sense of humor," Shepard muttered angrily in response.

Liara tried not to giggle. She couldn't help it; she just found the situation a little humorous. Kaidan was right; they almost never had it easy. Every time they wanted to simply walk across a room or climb up a tower, something would collapse or a door would lock and they would have to go around. It was tedious at times. Still, Liara suppressed her giggle. It was also ironic, she guessed.

Still, Shepard had become increasingly agitated as they neared the tower and Liara didn't know what to do about it. Kaidan seemed to be keeping his distance, so Liara guessed she should as well. However, she found herself wanting to…get closer. Liara quickly shook her head. Now wasn't the time.

Shepard stepped out of the doorway and looked around, trying to find another way through. In the distance, he spotted what looked like a doorway. Scratching his chin thoughtfully, he decided that it was the only way through. Hopefully, it would lead them past the geth kinetic barrier. But that would also mean walking through this waste site. Not looking forward to it.

A loud noise and a gunshot trail flashed past Shepard's nose. Shepard grabbed his pistol and aimed it at direction of the blast.

"Dammit!" came the cry of a meek young woman, cowering in the corner. Slowly and cautiously, she walked out, hunched in fright. "I'm so sorry! I thought you were geth."

"Do I look like a fucking geth to you?" Shepard scolded angrily.

"Commander, we don't yell at civilians," Kaidan cautiously reminded him.

"Right, sorry. Been a long day. Didn't mean to snap," he sighed. Liara thought he sounded only a little apologetic. "But it is odd to see a woman here. Why is that?"

"My own damn fault," the woman said, lowering the pistol to her side. "Everyone was running and I stayed behind to back up data. Next thing I knew, the geth ship latched onto the side of the tower and then the power went out. I was trapped. I tried to get out but the way was blocked."

"The barrier," Shepard answered.

"Yes," the woman nodded. "The energy field they put up. They don't want anyone else getting access to the…" her voice trailed off as her eyes widened.

"Miss, we need to know what the geth are after," Kaidan told her.

"I-I don't know for certain, but I would guess that they're here for the Thorian," the woman answered anxiously.

"A…_Thorian?_" Liara asked cautiously, the unfamiliar word rolling off her tongue oddly.

"An indigenous life form. ExoGeni was studying it," she answered hesitantly. Shepard tightened his jaw. She was hiding something.

"Care to explain?" Shepard asked, folding his arms. His head pounded.

"I could but not with all these geth running around," she said hurriedly. "We need to get out of here, past that barrier!"

"So how to we shut it down?" Kaidan asked.

"I'm not sure," she replied. "Though I think the geth ship is powering it. The geth were laying power cables everywhere. You could follow those cables but there's geth all over the place."

"Miss, to us, that's like saying the sun shines during the day," Liara replied. Kaidan and Shepard both turned to look at her. "What?"

"Did…did you just make a funny?" Shepard asked curiously, cocking an eyebrow. Liara's cheeks burned purple color, the result of blood rushing to her face.

"Well it's true!" Liara replied.

"Good point, Doctor," Kaidan chuckled. Shepard turned his head away and smiled. That put him in a good mood. Slightly.

"You're Lizbeth, would you?" Shepard asked.

"Yes, how'd you know?" Lizbeth asked.

"Just the funny way things work out," Shepard shrugged. "Your mother asked us to look for you. She and several other ExoGeni workers made it out safely."

"Really? Oh thank god! I was so afraid she…!" she didn't need to finish.

"So hunker down here until the field is down, okay?" Shepard told her.

"Sure thing," Lizbeth said. "Oh! Here! Take my ID! It'll help you get past any locked doors."

"Thanks," Shepard nodded. "Alright guys, break times over. Let's kill some geth."

Lizbeth ran off to find a hole to hide in while the squad walked into the muck and grime of the sewer. Only here did Shepard realize that after Liara made her small joke, the pain in his head numbed a little, as if she killed a little bit more of his headache. Or maybe it was because she said it. He couldn't be sure. All he knew was that when she said it, his head hurt a little less.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Tali ducked behind cover as a bullet ricocheted off the concrete block. She wasn't expecting this. Sure, she was expecting geth to impede their efforts. That was a given, since they were trying to destroy their transmitter.

She just wasn't expecting three blood-raged filled krogans protecting the transmitter.

"_**Stop moving so I can kill you!"**_ screamed the krogan behind her.

Tali took only a second to glance up before she rolled forward, dodging the punch that decimated the ground behind her with a loud thud. She rolled onto her feet and fired her shotgun. The round pelted into the krogan's shield, knocking him back a step. Only a step, before he took his own shotgun and shot it directly at Tali's chest. The blast knocked the wind out of her and destroyed her shields as she flew backwards a few feet. She slammed into the ground with a loud grunt. Running forward, the krogan roared viciously as he reloaded his shotgun. He aimed it directly at Tali's head.

Moving only on instinct, Tali pushed off the ground with her feet, pivoting on the small of her back. Her hand found the knife in her boot and she slid it out of its sheath. The krogan fired into the ground, harmlessly blowing a hole in the concrete. Tali was simply no longer there. She circled on her back, using her legs to build up momentum. Knife in hand, she plunged it into the back of the krogan's knee, spilling orange blood on the ground.

The krogan yelled as he slowly fell to his knee. Tali wasn't finished yet though; continuing her spin, she reached up with her other hand, grabbing the back of the krogan's armor. She pushed off the ground with her legs while pulling with her arm. Her other hand found her shotgun and she planted it into the neck of her victim. As she somersaulted over him, she pulled the trigger. Blood sprayed over her faceplate, partially blinding her. She landed on her feet like a cat as the krogan fell to the ground, his head hitting the ground first in a bloody heap.

Tali stood up and looked to where Wrex was. After embedding the first krogan halfway into the wall (he was a bloody mess), Wrex pushed the second one on the ground with the heel of his boot. Pushing down slowly, Wrex's face was contorted in anger and rage. His victim, a relative young krogan, was terrified as the foot slowly pushed his head down into the concrete. He screamed and beat against the ground, but it was futile. He belonged to Wrex now.

Tali turned away before the deed was done. She tried to shut out the noise of his screams as well the sudden pop and silence. Instead, she checked her suit for ruptures. Finding none, she turned around and saw Wrex wiping blood and whatever else off his foot. There was a gaping hole in the krogan's head now.

"Was that completely necessary?" Tali asked.

"Some little boys need to be taught a lesson," Wrex said off-handedly. "Don't pick fights with people who can snap you in half."

"That krogan didn't even learn his lesson. You killed him before that," Tali said in an accusatory manner.

"No, he did. Right at the end there. I could see it in his eyes," Wrex said. "Now, let's blow the transmitter and get the hell out of here."

"We still need to take care of the Alpha Varren," Tali noted. Wrex grumbled. He took his shotgun and casually aimed it at the blinking transmitter. He fired and turned away. It exploded behind him as he walked away. Tali followed behind him, shaking her head.

"One thing I don't get, Wrex," Tali said aloud. "You are one of the first people on our time that promotes violence. You revel in the thrill of a good kill. Yet, you were reluctant to come down here. Why is that?"

"And what makes you think I want violence?" Wrex asked in his deep voice.

"Well…uh…" Tali stumbled over the answer. "Well, because…"

"Because I'm a krogan?" Wrex answered for her. Tali shook her head.

"Forget I said anything," Tali sighed. Wrex continued walking forward for a moment.

"I don't believe in helping others who can help themselves," Wrex said. "Part of the reason I didn't like coming down here is because it's a waste of time. All these little 'assignments' are just distractions. We should have all gone to the tower and confronted the real problem: the geth. Once we dealt with them, Zhu's Hope would be free to deal with these little nuisances in peace and uninterrupted."

"I guess so," Tali said nodding. "Still we had to help these colonists. If we left them to themselves, we might have come back to a burning colony."

"We didn't _have_ to do anything," Wrex said. "Still, we're down here, so let's just get this over with. I hate sewers."

Tali and Wrex walked up to a nearby door, waiting for it to lift up and open by itself. Wrex jerked his head to the side, sniffing the air. Turning from the door, he walked away from it and into a darker corner.

"What is it?" Tali asked.

"Something's here…" Wrex muttered, grabbing his assault rifle. He cautiously walked further down the pathway with Tali walking behind him. Slowly, the world around them grew darker and darker as more and more lights blinked out of existence. Soon, they were relying on the light from Tali's Omni-Tool to reveal the path.

The only sound that Tali could hear was the dripping of water droplets colliding with a puddle, the tempered sound of Wrex's breathing, steady and sure and Tali's own heartbeat pumping in her head. Another sound appeared within her ears. A soft moaning and grunting, as if someone was dying or at least trying to.

They rounded a corner and found the maker of the noise.

"Oh, Keelah!" Tali inhaled deeply.

"Y-Y-Y-Y-You _don't_ want t-t-t-t-to go down there!" the man sat in a corner, covered in his own blood, knife trembling in his hand. Cuts covered his skin, deep enough that Tali could almost see his bones. He sat in the corner, chewing furiously at his fingertips, as his nails had long been torn off.

"What the hell happened to you? Did you do this to yourself?" Wrex asked, still pointing his rifle at him.

"Yup. All to spite the _master,_" he cackled, biting deeper into his fingertip. "And you really, _really, really,_ shouldn't go down there."

"Why?" Tali asked, kneeling by his side.

"Oh, _oh,_ I could tell you," the man chuckled. "I could tell you _ev-ery-thing! _**How would you like that!**" He sat up straight, fingertip still in his mouth, blood flowing freely. Then, with a shriek, his head slammed into the concrete floor. Pushing his cheek into the floor, he screamed as his feet skid across the ground in agony. Bone could now be seen from his torn fingertip.

"_What the hell-!_" Wrex exclaimed.

The man screamed as he bashed his head against the floor, as if trying to open his head and release whatever ailment it was out to the world. Blood soon drenched the concrete ground before he froze. Tali watched in pure horror, unable to tear his eyes away from the sight. The man rolled over onto his back, staring at the blackened ceiling hidden in darkness.

"Yeah, that was a good one," he muttered between breaths. "Very…_intense_." A smile crept across his lips as he shuddered.

"What's wrong with you?" was all Tali could ask.

"Nothing, nothing," the man waved them off. "Just…invoking the master's whip, as it were. Pain, you see, helps realize that…you're still alive. You're here for the geth, right?" The man rolled his eyes over to where the two were, still pointing their weapons as him.

"What makes you say that?" Wrex asked.

"Well, you're not the only one interested in those…things," the man said, examining a droplet of blood as it rolled down his palm.

"Who else is looking for the geth?" Tali asked, reaching for her pack of Medi-Gel. She couldn't just leave the man like this.

"Not exactly looking for," the man said with a sigh. "Looking to get rid of. The master's not too happy about them. Heh, they're a thorn in the side of the-"

He screamed as his back arched into the air until he was balancing on his head and feet. Tali thought she could hear his spine pop in several places. But this wasn't what really caused her great fear and distress. It was the fact that he started laughing halfway through.

"_**Ah! Haha! They're trying to get to the-Gah, ahahah! He's not liking that one bit, is he! Are ya? Ah haha!**_" he screamed as his spine cracked. His hand twitched as he carved another line down his stomach with his knife, adding more to the pain. Tali stepped back, not sure what to do with the pouch of Medi-Gel she held in her hand.

"Don't waste it on the likes of him," Wrex told her. "That won't help him at all."

"Can't we help him?" Tali exclaimed, looking back at the corpse-like human.

"Help…me?" His voice was barely a whisper. He scratched the knife on his forehead. "No one can help me now. Not this far. I'd…rather…die…fighting…" He laughed.

Wrex shook his head. He had absolutely no idea what to make of this human. Either he was suffering from some illness or he had shell shock. Either way, the human's mind was broken into thousands of pieces. Wrex thought of shooting him, but decided he wasn't worth the bullet.

"Let's go," Wrex grumbled. "We still need to flip the last valve, find some power cells and bash some varren's head in." He turned and walked away. Tali stayed for a moment, watching the pitiful man writhe in agony and pleasure. She shook her head and followed Wrex. She could still hear his screams when she entered the room they were going to check in the first place.

The room they entered was a little brighter than the sewers in general. There was a hole in the wall where the setting sunlight breathed in. As if it was the natural ambience of the planet, something was on fire in the corner. Wrex examined the room and saw a railing on one of the far walls with a large pit beyond it. He guessed that it went down to one of the lower levels. However, it was the run down M29 Grizzly that caught Tali's attention.

"Check it out!" Tali exclaimed excitedly. "Probably some power cells in there!"

"Fine, but be careful," Wrex told her. "Something smells funny."

Tali didn't need to be told twice. She leapt towards the Grizzly and quickly detached a control panel, exposing its engine. She smiled within her helmet.

"We're in business!" she exclaimed, activating her Omni-Tool disconnect the power cell from the engine.

A growl answered her.

Tali slowly peered out from beneath the car. About a foot away from her, a reptilian-like creature growled at her. It had a pair of long teeth that were exposed from its bottom jaw, as well as a pair of yellow glowing eyes that glared at her threateningly.

"Wrex," Tali said slowly. "We just walked into the varren nest, didn't we?"

"Yup," Wrex replied, cocking his shotgun. A group of them had surrounded him.

The varren roared and lunged for Tali. It crashed into her helmet and began clawing and biting. Tali used her forearm to keep the beast at bay, but the creature was relentless. She quickly reached for her pistol and placed it into the beast's gut. She pulled the trigger several times, spilling its blood all over her suit.

Wrex fired several rounds into the varren horde that surrounded him. One by one, they started to fall, but soon, they charged him. Wrex fired one more round before slamming the butt of his gun into the eye of a leaping varren, bursting it. He grabbed the barrel of his shotgun and swung it into the gut of another varren. He reached out and grabbed the neck of a varren who was foolish enough to attack from behind. Wrex slammed him into another varren.

Tali rolled up onto her feet and grabbed her own shotgun, blasting away another varren. She ran towards Wrex, trying to aid him. She jumped forward and kicked the chin of another varren that tried to snap at her. Finally reaching him, Tali slammed her back into his and they stood there, back to back.

"You're not gonna catch a cold and die on me, are you?" Wrex asked.

"How's the sterility working for you?" Tali countered.

The varren leapt and the two went to work. Wrex fired round after round at the varren, keeping them back. Tali crouched low to the ground, firing at their legs to slow them down. Any who got too close got a knife to the neck. Working back to back, they turned clockwise, keeping a wide area of vision possible, making sure that none got too close. They could only handle so much before they were overwhelmed.

A varren ran up a pile of debris and leapt towards Wrex. Before he could react, a knife found it's way through the air and into the beast's open mouth, straight up the brain. Tali smiled as she brought her hand back from the throw.

"Drop!" Wrex shouted.

Tali dropped to the ground without thinking and assault rifle fire blasted away a varren close by. Tali quickly rolled onto her feet and yanked the knife out of the varren's mouth. It dripped with blood and saliva.

"Nasty," Tali muttered before blasting another varren with her shotgun.

Wrex roared as he grabbed the last varren, hoisted him above his head and tossed him into the pit. It screamed all the way down. Then there was only silence among the dead.

"I'll get that power cell and we can get out of here," Tali said as she ran towards the Grizzly. Wrex merely nodded as he surveyed the carnage. Varren were either dead or dying. He didn't want to waste the bullet putting them out of their misery, though. He hated sewers and he wanted to be out of there as quick as possible. He took a quick glance at the surroundings. Then he noticed something.

The Alpha Varren wasn't there.

Wrex took another look and sure enough, the red scales of the alpha were nowhere to be found. Had he tossed him over the side? He quickly checked the pit, peering down over the railing.

The Alpha Varren was hiding underneath the Grizzly. Tali had begun working on the panel, pulling the power cells out. She was out of sight, though. The Alpha Varren could only see Wrex. When Wrex turned his back, it sprang out in a red blur.

Wrex heard the skittering of claw on concrete, heard the panting and the growls. Tali heard it too and glanced out onto the arena just in time to see the muscles of the varren flex as he jumped. Wrex quickly spun around and raised his shotgun.

Too slow. The Alpha Varren slammed into Wrex's face like bullet, clawing and biting. Wrex stepped back and into the railing. The varren blood on the floor made him slip.

"_**Damn!"**_ he screamed in anger and frustration as they both disappeared over the side.

"Wrex!" Tali exclaimed, running to the railing. Reaching the railing, she peered down into the dark pit, trying to catch a glimpse of Wrex. She saw nothing.

"Wrex! Come in!" she said, trying her radio. No answer.

"_**Wrex!"**_ she screamed into the darkness.

Silence was her answer.

* * *

Jesus H. Christ, there is just no pleasing you people, is there? Well, here's your freaking update! God!

I'm just joking of course. I'm just making fun of how many emails I get of "For the love of god, update!" and "Gadzooks! You haven't updated in a long time, no you haven't!" and of course "I'LL FREAKING KILL YOU! UPDATE YOUR STORY DAMMIT!" Okay the last two were exaggerations.

Oh, and for those who haven't already guessed, the actual chapter that's supposed to go before this one replaced my April fool's chapter. I'm not sure if you got that or not so there you go.


	49. Chapter 39: Eyes

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«5.05: Attican Beta: Theseus System: Feros: ExoGeni (Main Level)»

«or Eyes»

"I am sorry, sir," the VI spoke emotionlessly. "But I cannot give information out freely to those who are dead. Please seek out medical assistance immediately."

"Damn," Jarrod groaned, tossing aside the dead human he was using as a puppet. "Almost thought that would work." He had been going at this machine for nearly ten minutes. None of the dead humans he came across seemed to have the correct clearance to access the information he needed. This is why Tuvok should have sent that Geth Prime here to hack the system. Or better yet, he should have come himself. But he said he was busy tailing Shepard to come here. And so, he had to find the information himself.

Jarrod crossed his arms and tried a different approach.

"Please?" he asked calmly.

"I am sorry, but you do not have the necessary clearance to access that information," the VI replied. "Now please step aside if there is nothing else. There is a queue forming behind you for the use of this terminal."

"What?" Jarrod quirked an eyebrow.

"Move and your brains meet the ground," Shepard growled behind him.

"Damn," Jarrod groaned. "I thought Scar was supposed to take care you two. He usually doesn't fail."

"First time for everything," Kaidan stated. Liara's biotics flared and surrounded the krogan.

"Ah well," Jarrod said, crossing his arms. He turned and looked straight into Shepard's eye. "Haven't seen you since Therum. Still human, I see. Not all…green and crazy."

"And your still alive," Shepard replied. "Thought Wrex would have killed you by now."

"Hah!" Jarrod scoffed. "That little whelp kill me? He couldn't even bite the nipple off of his mother's teat let alone kill me!"

"Didn't need the mental picture. Thanks though," Shepard said shaking his head. His migraine was getting worse, though he dare not show it. Not in front of this dangerous krogan.

"Where is that boy, anyways?" Jarrod asked. His tone was full of hidden fury. "Has he run off again? Run away while his friends get butchered?"

"No," Shepard replied simply. He didn't come here to chat with the krogan. "Now, what are you here for?"

"I came here to get information on the Thorian," Jarrod replied. "Saren is…particularly interested in it."

"Is that why the geth are here?" Kaidan asked.

"Part of the reason why," Jarrod replied. "Saren also doesn't want information about the Thorian getting out. To _you_ in particular, Shepard. He doesn't like how you keep interfering in his plans. 'Stalling the inevitable' as he calls it. The geth are to destroy any data ExoGeni might have on the Thorian creature."

"Why? What's so important about the Thorian?" Liara asked, confusion ripe in her voice.

"I have no idea," Jarrod shrugged. "I'm not Tuvok or Benezia. I'm not privy to that kind of information. I just carry out the orders given to me. Ain't that right, Shepard?"

Shepard didn't reply at first. Something wasn't right.

"You seem…awfully calm about this," Shepard inquired. "You're a warlord of a prestigious krogan clan. Or at least, you were. You would never give up this information freely. Unless…unless you thought there wasn't any reason not to. Which probably means we won't be alive to matter."

Jarrod smiled. Shepard narrowed his eyes, wondering how long the bloody eyed turian was standing behind him. He tightened the grip on his pistol.

"Dammit," Shepard muttered, cursing the throbbing pain in his head. He spun around.

Tuvok faded into view, knocking back his hand as Shepard spun and aimed a biotic punch into Shepard's gut. Shepard's other hand guided the fist past his stomach, where it collided harmlessly into a nearby wall. Kaidan reacted by throwing his own biotic field into Tuvok's face. Tuvok barely glanced as he deflected the field away from himself by emitting a barrier around himself. His focus was solely on Shepard and Shepard's focus was on Tuvok.

Jarrod roared as he rushed forward, causing Liara to react by launching a flurry of biotic fields straight into Jarrod's body. The mighty krogan shrugged them off with but a breath, backhanding Liara in the face, throwing her into the wall and knocking the breath out of her lungs.. Jarrod caught Shepard unprepared as he reached underneath his armpits and hooked him against his body.

Without a sound, Tuvok grabbed Shepard's head. Blue eyes stared into blood red eyes. Tuvok blinked and Shepard's eyes rolled into the back of his head, his jaw slackened and he relaxed. Tuvok grabbed Kaidan's gun and tore it away, spinning him around in a circle. He grabbed the side of his head and blinked. Kaidan slumped to the ground.

"That was efficient," Jarrod commended the turian.

"I did not kill them," Tuvok replied emotionlessly. Jarrod cracked his knuckles.

"Don't have the stomach for it? Then I'll do it for you," Jarrod said with a grin. He put his foot on Shepard's head. And hand barred his way.

"No," Tuvok ordered. "Their minds will kill them."

"Huh?" Jarrod asked.

"I have spurred every bad memory they have into existence," Tuvok explained. "It wasn't hard. I linked my nervous system with theirs for a short while. Like asari melding, but more crude. I've been trying to study how they do that exactly. Saleon has been busy dissecting humans to bother with the asari we have for him. In short, when our nervous systems became one, I forced their minds to remember every bad memory they had. Soon, their minds will break and they will die. If not, they will try to kill themselves."

"I'd expect that sadism from Saleon, not you, turian," Jarrod noted. He smiled. "I like it."

Tuvok didn't reply. He merely stared with blood-red eyes at the two disabled soldiers. Hardened veterans brought to their knees by their guilt and sorrow. At least, that was what Tuvok was going for. He cocked his head to the side as he watched Shepard writhe in pain. Hearing a noise, he turned his head and saw Liara lift a pistol and aim it at his head.

"Let them go," Liara ordered angrily. Or tried to. A falter in her voice betrayed her emotion. Tuvok blinked at her with less emotion than the VI had.

"Do you really think you can shoot me?" Tuvok asked her. Liara gritted her teeth and clenched her finger around the trigger. It wouldn't move. She willed herself to move the finger but it still wouldn't move. Like a lead-weight tied to her finger, it wouldn't move. Fear transformed her face.

"Please," Liara pleaded silently. "Let them go."

Tuvok said nothing as he walked towards Liara. His footsteps resounded loudly within the hallway as if they were the steps of death itself, walking to take Liara's life. Liara could only stare in fear and terror as Tuvok took his time to stand in front of Liara, his threateningly and surprisingly large form growing larger with each step. He stood in front of Liara, staring down at her with blood-red eyes. Slowly he knelt down and stared into her innocent, blue eyes. He didn't see blue, but a shade of purple. But he saw the innocence; just as Shepard saw it the first time he met her.

"Do I frighten you?" Tuvok asked her simply. Liara couldn't answer as she still trained the pistol weakly against Tuvok's face. "Benezia said you frightened easily. Even as a child. Maybe because you never felt safe as a child, being a pureblood, a taboo among the asari. That's why you sought the isolation and solitude of an archaeologist. To be away from everyone else. You ran. But we must always face our problems, don't we?"

Liara stared with her fear-stained innocent eyes into Tuvok's emotionless blood-red eyes. There was no malice in his eyes. Just silent resolution.

"Time to face your fears, little wing," Tuvok cooed, almost affectionately. He placed his hand on her cheek and Liara's head shot back, eyes rolled up to her head and she fell to the ground. Tuvok cocked his head and examined the young asari, wondering what she was most afraid of. Sighing, he pushed himself back onto his feet, hearing his knees pop from the strain.

He turned around and watched Kaidan's face with interest. Kaidan muttered something, but kept silent, his fists clenched.

"Where have I seen you before?" Tuvok muttered to himself.

"He was with Shepard on Therum when they came to rescue this bitch," Jarrod said, nudging Liara's head thoughtfully.

"No," Tuvok said. "I recall him before that time. His face was younger but it had the same steel. I wonder if he was one of the children at BAaT when my brother worked there…"

"Maybe," Jarrod muttered, not really caring in the slightest. "Saren's got a file on him somewhere that Ellison sent him. You can look him up then. But I think we've got a job to do now."

"Indeed," Tuvok said. "We won't find any new information here. "Let's return to Zhu's Hope and see what we can do about our little growth infestation."

They turned and walked down the hallway casually, leaving behind the three on the ground, lost in their nightmares. They do not look back as Kaidan tightens his grip on his pistol. They do not look back as Liara slowly crawls to Shepard, reaching for his knife.

\::/::\::/::\::/

_Kaidan feels the eyes of hatred tracing his body, frail and decimated. He feels his brain swelling, pulsing with blood, writhing in pain. All he wants is rest; all he wants is peace. But those horrid eyes urge him on still. Urge him on to feet and break his mind even further._

_He is not alone, though. He is with friends. Friends whose minds are just as broken as his; just as wracked with pain and grief. But still those eyes of hatred urge those friends of his onwards, with each glance a thousand-thong whip tearing away the flesh of their minds. How their minds bleed and tear themselves apart. Piece by piece, only bloody pulps are left behind in their wake, unseen by all and unfelt by none._

_Those eyes of hatred tear more and more away from them with each passing minute that last lifetimes. Always the same eyes, always the same routines. Repetition, repetition, repetition. Always the same. Going over the same routines, slowly dulling the pain of the open wounds in their minds before they were forced by the whip of hatred to push their soft minds further, reopening the cuts and flaying open their brains._

_Blood is the color of life. If you can still see your blood, you were still alive. Once the blood slowly fades to black, you are dead. That is all death is. The light at the end is not heaven; it is the light of the world fading away from your eyes. Death is a transitional fade to black. These blood eyes of hatred tell Kaidan this many times over. These blood eyes of hatred that tear into his flesh tell him he will die one way or another._

_No light from the hatred. None. None at all. Except for one. A girl. Always a girl. A girl with bright blonde hair but not white. A beautiful shade of blonde, like the sun god Helios had come down and caressed her head as a child. Kaidan feels nothing but love for her, amidst the pain and anguish that wracks his mind and body. Love can bloom in the corpse of defeat._

_But she is not strong enough. Kaidan is stronger and wants nothing more than to protect this sun-kissed angel. Her mind has been raped by these blood eyes of hatred, exposing her weaknesses to the world. She cuddles up in a ball, hiding her nakedness, but the blood eyes see all; lidless, it pierces through all barriers, burning away their protection. Nothing is safe; nothing is sacred. Everything is laid bare. Her soul is laid bare. Tainted by blood, the color of life._

_The glass of water. Her only respite. But she cannot pick it up. A glass of water to wash away all the sins laid upon her. Wash them all away with just a sip. But the eyes of hatred won't let her wash them away. She's been stained and she will remained stained forevermore. Bloodied physically, now, her body is. Tiny angel. Broken, her sun-kissed hair tainted by the color of life. Blood. Blood everywhere and it pours from the sky. Life pours from the sky._

_Enough. Kaidan can't take anymore. He stands. A simple act with meaning that travels with the force of a Mass Relay. Like a bullet. The eyes of hatred hate even more. It attacks Kaidan with teeth and talons, gnawing, biting, hacking, and tearing. His flesh is sawed to pieces, torn apart by hate._

_Enough. With a scream and a yell, it is enough. Spine crack and break. The burning fire within the mind screams for release and Kaidan is more than ready to grant its wish. It fills his body, ready to explode at a moments command. It does and he becomes god. The protector of everything he cherishes and loves, protector of the blond angel. He takes in the blood and makes it his color. The eyes of hatred die and he is free. She is free._

_Kaidan feels a smile well up within him and he turns to the blonde tiny angel. But a new horror is facing him. Blood has tainted him yet again and even further. No longer do eyes of hatred, pure and cold, haunt him. No longer do they tear away at him, spilling the color of life across the ground. Those are dead, killed by the fire of his mind._

_His angel, the one beacon of love he held in such high regard, now regards him with fear. His own angel is afraid. And he is the cause of it. This fear does not tear away at his mind or rip away his skin. It does none of these things, and yet it is full of pain none can describe. It injects itself into his mind through the open wounds that hate left behind. Shame is its color and it wells up into him like a drug, only destroying. He swore to protect her. He swore to protect her. Must he protect her from his own, bloodstained self?_

_Yes._

_The gun is nearby._

_\::/::\::/::\::/  
_

_Liara feels those cold eyes of disregard caress the land around her. Never touching her and keeping its distance. Feelings of indifference emanated from their bodies, raping her soul, but leaving no marks. No one thinks much of her; she's a pure blood, acknowledged but ignored. Filthy little pure blood, don't touch them._

_It's not her fault. It's not her fault. But she's a dirty little pureblood. And their cruelty knows no bounds. They politely walk away, stabbing her heart with each step. They ignore her questions, tearing away the flesh of her spirit. She wants to join them, to play their games, to talk about their interests, to just not be alone. But she's a dirty pure blood. She can't join them; they don't want her. And she dies a little inside, the spine of her essence broken in two._

_Her mother can't help her. She's never there. Matriarch of the asari, she has other work to attend to. Too busy for her daughter, whose soul is shattered to pieces. Retreat, retreat into the blackness and decay. Retreat into the recesses of history, where sanctuary lies._

_Liara must run away. Everyone ignores her because she is the filthy pureblood, an offshoot that offers neither advancement nor knowledge of the universe. Nothing gained. She cannot stand the humiliation, the rape of her soul by their cruel thoughts, unspoken but true. Waste of life. No better than the dirt on the ground. Her mere existence ravages and taints the gene pool of the asari. It would be better if she dies._

_But she can't. She won't. She is too afraid to. So she escapes to history. She escapes to the Protheans. They are truly magnificent and glorious. They do not judge her and accept her, despite her faults. The solitude, away from the eyes that judge her because of things beyond her control. Retreat within and into history, away from the cold eye so of disregard. Escape from the present and into the comforting arms of the past._

"You retreat within because the world outside is too cruel," Tuvok whispers into her ear, caressing her tear-stained cheek. "But what if your sanctuary is no longer safe?"

_Blood-red eyes stare maliciously at her innocence. The turian forces his way into her, tearing her insides apart. Liara shuts her eyes and tries to retreat back inside, away from the cruel outside world._

_But those blood-red eyes are there._

_Away, fly away, away into the past, away into the Prothean's arms. Their knowledge will keep her safe from this menace. Their history is comforting to her. Away from cruelty unspoken._

_But those blood-red eyes are there!_

_She cannot escape from them! He festers within her sanctuary and within her being! He is there, within her every thought! Cannot get him away! Where is Shepard? Where is the one who protects her! Nowhere to be found! Please! Please send those blood-red eyes away! Send them away! She doesn't want them around anymore! They are tearing her apart, destroying her innocence! He is inside of her mind, and inside her soul, __**raping**__ her in everyway possible! Cannot get away! He is still there inside her! Liara wants him out! He needs to get out! She cannot take his eyes, those eyes of cruelty! He is inside her! Get her out, please!_

_Shepard's knife is close by!_

_Cut him out!_

_**Cut him out!**_

\::/::\::/::\::/_**  
**_

_Shepard stares into dead eyes and they stare back. The dead go on for miles before him, those who died because of him. Many faces he recognizes, many he does not. Some are phantoms that he has never seen before, but they died for him all the same. Those dead eyes are filled with a single emotion, an emotion that kills and slays his soul every time he feels it from someone._

(pain)

_Love. Those eyes are filled with love for him. They were so willing to die for him. To throw their lives away for him. What a miserable beast he is that he can ask someone else to die for his mistakes. No, not ask. Order. He ordered death to claim all of these souls before him. And death, riding his pale horse, gladly did his job, taking the future away from them all. Taking their lives._

(pain)

_He sees many faces before him, and memories surge forward. James Wong, always a smile on his face, humming that tune he could never remember the name of, lay still, covered in burns and melting, his bones visible to the world. Andrew Lamont, strong and silent with amazingly strong biotics, sat covered in blood, his organs lying on the ground before him, a smile on his face. Peter Lamont, small and nervous, could hit a target thousands of miles away without batting an eye, ripped limb from limb, his heart proudly put on display. On his face sits a smile._

"_**Why are you all smiling!"**_ Shepard screams

(AGONIZING PAIN)

_These dead faces surround him and their memories are unbearable. They haunt him, spirits that simply won't go away. Their blood drips onto his hands, covering his body with a dark blackness. His failure; their loss. And still they haunt him because of it. A fitting punishment. Even the nine circles of hell had a place for him so this was the best the universe could do._

(throbbing pain)

_He steps over their broken bodies, cracking their skulls and fingers, forcing his way forwards. Always forwards. Time, the cruel slave driver, pushing its pawns forwards. Can't even say his farewells and apologies to the men and women he steps on. Too late for them, he must move forward. Kill the people who try to stop him. Why, though? Why must he kill them? It'd be easier to just let them kill h_

(throbbing pain)

Where is that pain coming from?

_But that red-haired terror. How she used to tear up the streets of New York. She and him, together with the 10 Street Reds. So young and innocent, they were. But now…now she was gone. Because of his own stupidity. Gone forever. Torn apart. Ripped to shreds. Her green ghost now haunts him. A fitting punishment. A reminder of his failu_

(sharp pain)

Where the hell is that pain coming from?

_Death surrounded him, encompassed him and followed him, sure that he would bring more poor men and women for his pale horse to feast on. He was a blight and a force of destruction to those around him. And yet people still followed him, still respected him, still (loved) him. Still. After all of it. Even though he will kill them all, they still followed him._

_He can't do it. He can't. He can't go on. He can't harm more people. He can't unknowingly bring more deaths on his hands. He can't hurt the people he loves. Not again. Not like before. Better to slit his own wrists spilling his blood onto the ground. The earth would be stained but better the earth than his loved ones. Better to place a gun to his temple and_

(PAIN)

"_**Why the hell does my head hurt so fucking much!"**_ Shepard screamed, snapping his eyes wide. The concrete walls answered his throbbing head with silence only. Feros. This was Feros.

"I swear, someone spikes my drinks," Shepard moaned as he pushed himself up, rubbing his head. His migraine was even worse, but not by a whole lot. Noticeably harsher, but he could still manage. Without the pain from his migraine, however, he guessed he'd never have been able to snap out of that…whatever the hell that was.

There was a whimper to his left and he looked there. The first thing he noticed was that the sheath connected to his arm was empty. And then he noticed Liara, sitting on the ground, head raised to the sky, cheeks wet with tears. She held Shepard's knife to her throat, prepared to stab all the way through.

With a snarl, Shepard leapt forward and without thinking, grabbed the blade of the knife, cutting his fingers. He tore the knife out of Liara's hands, hearing her scream. He also heard a click and Shepard spun his head around over his shoulder. Kaidan had a gun pointed at his head.

"Shit!" Shepard exclaimed, rolling to the ground and drawing his sidearm. With one fluid and smooth motion, he raised it to eye level and fired, obliterating Kaidan's pistol before he fired.

Liara screamed as she dove for Shepard's knife. Shepard gritted his teeth and elbowed her in the chin, which sent a shockwave up through her skull. Liara blinked several times before she collapsed onto the ground. Shepard took several deep breaths before looking up to Kaidan, who sat on the ground with his head in his hands, covering his eyes.

"LT?" Shepard called.

"Yeah," Kaidan said wearily. "I…I just need a few minutes."

"Take all the time you need," Shepard told him. He looked over at Liara. All he could see was her huddled form, arms wrapped around her legs. She was trembling. Gingerly, Shepard reached out and touched Liara's arm. "Liara?"

She turned over and what Shepard saw…tore him apart. Her eyes were a deep shade of red, filled with tears rolling down her face. Her lip quivered as she stuttered.

"He was…inside me!" Liara whispered, her voice cracking. Shepard sighed sympathetically. Sheathing his knife, he wrapped his arms around her and picked her up gently. Sitting down with a stifled grunt, he placed Liara on his lap and held her close, rubbing her shoulder gently. Liara cuddled close to his body, shivering and quivering. Shepard shushed her comfortingly.

"It's okay now," Shepard whispered into her ear. "It'll be alright now." He could feel her cool breath against his neck and she could feel his breath against hers. For the moment, Liara let herself be comforted. She needed it now. She felt so dirty. Strangely enough, each breath of Shepard seemed to blow away all the dirt, all the taint. Being held in his arms now, she felt safe.

Shepard looked over to Kaidan, who was rubbing his eyes furiously, blinking away the troubles.

"I'm ready," Kaidan breathed to himself mostly.

"ExoGeni Corporation reminds all staff that the discharging of weapons while on company property is strictly forbidden," the damned VI chimed in. Shepard glared at it angrily. For all their ability to process and house information, they so stupid sometimes. "Welcome back, research assistant Elizabeth Baynham! What can I do for you?"

"It must be reading the card Lizbeth gave me," Shepard muttered. He looked at Liara's quivering form and then at Kaidan.

"I'll take care of it," Kaidan said, standing up straight. Shepard took the keycard and tossed it to Kaidan, who caught it deftly. Standing in front of the VI, Kaidan spoke. "What information was the last user attempting to access?"

"Fetching data," the VI paused. "The previous user was attempting to access details on the study of Subject: Species 37. The Thorian. However, I was unable to provide the previous user with any relevant data. Aside from lacking proper access, there have been no new data available on Species 37. All sensors monitoring the observation post at Zhu's Hope have been inactive for several cycles."

"Zhu's Hope?" Shepard asked. "What the hell does Zhu's Hope have to do with it?"

"What does Zhu's Hope have to do with the Thorian?" Kaidan asked the VI.

"Species 37 is located within the substructure of the Zhu's Hope outpost," the VI answered simply. This caught Shepard's attention. With little effort at all, Shepard leapt to his feet, still cradling Liara in his arms. Liara's eyes went wide when he stood up, shock and embarrassment crossing over her entire face. She didn't really know what to say about this. Shepard's attention was solely on the VI.

"That must be what Saren's after," Shepard exclaimed. "That's why he's sending his geth to attack the colony."

"Looks like it," Kaidan replied. "Tell me everything you know about the Thorian."

"The Thorian is a simple plant life form that exhibits a sentient behavior uncommon with other flora," the VI answered. "It was discovered several weeks ago when a small team was infected with spores while examining ruins near the Zhu's Hope outpost. The area was quarantined immediately and study of the infection began. Through dispersion and the eventual inhalation of spores, it can affect and control other organisms, including humans. The Zhu's Hope control group has yielded interesting results. Within 21 days, 58 percent of all colonists exhibited altered behavior. Before sensors went offline, over 85 percent of all test subjects had been infected."

Shepard, Kaidan and Liara (who was still in Shepard's arms), stared wide-eyed at the VI. Then Shepard's features contorted to one of disgust.

"Those _bastards_! If I ever meet one of those jack-offs, I'm going to tear them limb from bloody limb!" Shepard exclaimed. Liara tried to talk to him but he wasn't listening.

"ExoGeni knew its colonists were getting infected by these spores?" Kaidan asked.

"It was deemed necessary to assess the true potential of Species 37," the VI explained.

"How does the Thorian control its slaves?" Kaidan asked persistently.

"The will subversion manifests as an intense pain if directives are ignored," the VI explained. "The effect is severe enough that subjects are soon conditioned against even minor thoughts of rebellion. Observation suggests views its thralls in a utilitarian way. Care is apparently taken to avoid injuring them much as a craftsman avoids injuring his tools."

"Not the best analogy," Shepard muttered.

"As long as no action is taken against the creature's objectives, the subjects are free to pantomime a normal existence until specifically tasked with something," the VI continued.

"The others don't know about this," Kaidan told Shepard.

"Joker!" Shepard exclaimed into his earpiece. "Come in, Joker! Dammit! That geth barrier is blocking us, I can't get through."

""VI, what can you tell us about the geth ship and the field it's generating?" Kaidan asked.

"I have limited data on the geth," the VI explained. "They have effectively blocked all sensors within the facility. I have detected unusual power fluctuations but I am unable to determine the source."

"Well, looks like we do this the old fashioned way," Kaidan said.

"Guns and explosions. Fun," Shepard smiled. Kaidan looked at Shepard. Then at Liara, still wide-eyed.

"Uh, Commander," Kaidan coughed.

"What?" Shepard asked.

"Um…Commander, I think I can walk on my own now," Liara said meekly. Shepard looked down at Liara and his own eyes widened.

"Oh! Sorry, here," Shepard gently placed Liara down on her feet. Liara wiped the remainder of the tears from her cheeks and dusted herself off.

"Thank you," Liara said warmly. Shepard smiled in return. A thought occurred to him. He turned to Kaidan and, taking Lizbeth's ID card, he approached the VI.

"VI, um, access my personal files," Shepard said tentatively. After a pause, the VI responded.

"Elizabeth Baynham, research assistant, biomedical division. Security level Four exemption," the VI said. "You are currently under probation due to disagreements with management over established company policies. These sanctions may be lifted if your next evaluation is more agreeable."

"What did I disagree with management on?" Shepard asked, curious.

"You were marked as combative about the operations of the Zhu's Hope Project, specifically about the handling of the infected colonists," the VI replied. "As a result, you were tasked with monitoring the safety of the colonists for the duration of the observation."

"Well, I guess Lizbeth escapes dismemberment," Shepard said crossing his arms. "But she better have a damn good reason for all this." Liara smiled wearily and glanced at Shepard's hand. Her eyes widened.

"Shepard! Your hand is bleeding!" Liara exclaimed.

"Huh? Oh, would you look at that," Shepard said, glancing at his hand. They weren't massive cuts but they still bled. "I kind of had to tear the blade from you. You were…well, you weren't yourself."

"I'm sorry! Here, I have some Medi-Gel," Liara fussed as she grabbed her pouch of Medi-Gel from her belt. Tearing open the pouch, she grabbed Shepard's hand and poured the cold gel into the wounds. Shepard's mouth moved open as if to protest, but, slowly, he just let her work.

"You…you really don't need to do this," Shepard said meekly, rubbing the back of his neck. Kaidan stared in confusion at Shepard. Was he…blushing?

"No, its fine," Liara told him. "It's my fault you cut yourself and I should take care of you." After she was done, he let her go and smiled. Shepard smiled weakly back. Then he noticed Kaidan staring.

"Um, let's go," Shepard said. "We need to get rid that geth ship and get in contact with Joker and Ashley. And quickly."

Brushing the dust from their armor, they grabbed their weapons and ran down the hallway, prepared for anything.

* * *

A thought occurs to me: don't turians have blue blood? … A wizard did it. Yup. Wizard. But red-sand addicts have red eyes…so the red sand mixed with blue blood would be…purple…he should have purple eyes…Wizard. Definitely a wizard.

Yeah, this chapter was just trippy. I shouldn't have to explain how an experienced soldier like Shepard was taken surprise of. This is called writer's intent, or so I'm told. I'm no professional (despite what you may think).

Overlord DLC for Mass Effect 2 this June. I'm excited. Also Red Dead Redemption. Oh, and STEAM HAS COME TO THE MAC! FREAKING FINALLY! I have already downloaded it, made an account and installing Portal. Maybe I'll play around with Team Fortress 2, never played it before. Should be fun.

Finals are over. Nice. Summer classes start soon. Damn.


	50. Chapter 40: Surprise Attack

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«5.06: Attican Beta: Theseus System: Feros: ExoGeni (Upper Level)»

«or Surprise Attack»

The geth drop ship had latched onto the ExoGeni building, using its landing gear as claws digging into the building. Wires snaked inside, powering equipment and tools necessary for their livelihood. They moved their equipment around and did their duty, just as they were ordered to. This would be their home base for the time being, until they did their duty. Then, they would simply leave and go back to wherever they were ordered to. There was, however, one necessary object that the geth needed: a shrine to conduct their worship of ones they called the Reapers. On this upper level of the ExoGeni building, three geth were performing their daily worship of their gods, bending down on their knees and connecting their neural networks to the shrine.

Shepard could see that it was a place of worship and he guessed that they were worshiping the Reapers. He knew this, though he didn't really care. At the moment, the Geth were the enemy and they were standing in between him and his goal.

Through the scope of his HMR X sniper rifle, the kneeling geth were sitting ducks.

"Go," he ordered. He squeezed the trigger and the first bullet tore through the geth's shield. Its head exploded in a flash of shrapnel and machinery.

Liara reacted at his word and exploded in a flurry of biotics. She pushed forward, launching a tidal wave of biotic energy that crashed into the geth like an avalanche. They were thrown off of their feet as the waves of energy swept them into the storm. Venting her rage and frustration, she left no mercy in her wake.

Kaidan's left arm was beginning to feel hot as his Omni-Tool went to work. He ignored it though as he destroyed the geth's weaponry, causing them to overload and short-circuit, exploding by their sides and in their hands.

"Three behind that concrete block 30 degrees left!" Shepard shouted. Liara quickly looked and saw them. Closing her fists, she reached out and lifted them into the air, where they dangled in mid-air helpless and defenseless. Sparing only one shot each, Shepard shot each of them once through the head, eradicating them each before they dropped to the ground.

Kaidan ran forward, shooting with his pistol before he rolled into nearby cover as the geth's weaponry pelted into the block he hid behind. Shepard saw this and aimed his sniper at a nearby geth trooper, putting a hole through its head. Kaidan breathed before popping out of cover and blasting the rest of the body with his pistol.

Then there was silence as the geth fell in heaps and piles of broken machinery.

"Clear!" Kaidan called.

"Clear," Liara said.

"Clear!" Shepard affirmed, standing up straight and placing the sniper rifle on his back, where it folded back into a compact rectangle. He dropped down to ground level and surveyed the battle field. "Good work. Now let's figure out how to get this damned ship off this building."

"I've been looking at it," Kaidan said, wiping the sweat of his brow. "We don't have the resources for a bomb strong enough to blast it off."

"But that doorway the leg is sticking through," Liara noted as she picked up a datapad from the ground. She blew the dust off of it and read through it. She waved her Omni-Tool over it, which copied the files onto it and translated it into an asari dialect she could read. "According to this, the door is glitchy. If we set the PSI to anything below 30, then it works fine. However, anything between 31 and 34, then it cuts through steel like paper and from 35 and up it just shuts down."

Shepard and Kaidan stared at her.

"That's…convenient," Kaidan noted.

"Convenient? If I wasn't an atheist, I'd say it's a pretty freaking large coincidence!" Shepard exclaimed. "I mean what are the odds! We've just so happen to need to blow a ship off the side of the building and it just so happens that the door can cut through it all without breaking a sweat! I mean, if we-!"

"Commander, we're short on time," Kaidan reminded him.

"Ah, let's just cut through this bitch," Shepard sighed, disheartened that his rant was interrupted. He walked over to the control panel, rubbing his head as he walked. The migraine was still there and it still annoyed him. Nevertheless, he got to work on the panel. Behind him, Kaidan and Liara watched and waited patiently for him to finish.

"I have to say, Dr. T'Soni," Kaidan began. "Your biotics are impressive. You seem to know how to handle your powers better than I can."

"For the asari, biotics comes as easily as breathing," Liara said, then regretted her words. "Not to say that your biotic abilities aren't impressive already! It's just, uh, our biotic abilities is closely linked to our…reproductive process."

"How so?" Kaidan asked, intrigued.

"Well," Liara thought for a moment. "The asari reproduce not through physical contact but through neural and mental interactions. This requires a extensive amount of control over your internal electrical stimuli that runs through the spinal column and nervous system. Because of that, the asari are simply more…biotics come much more naturally to us. It is because of our physiology. For the humans, turians and salarians, it is a rare and unnatural occurrence."

Kaidan nodded and crossed his arms as he watched Shepard work on the puzzle that was the PSI systems.

"I'd give anything to be able to use my biotics as much as you can without getting a nosebleed," Kaidan muttered to himself absently, a hint of sadness in his voice that only Liara picked up. Liara looked over casually and sympathized for him.

"_**Fuck this horseshit!"**_ Shepard screamed. "_**I'm a fucking soldier of the Alliance and a goddamn Spectre! I don't have time to be figuring out this fucking puzzle just to figure out how to close a goddamn door!"**_

Without another word, he stalked off, fists clenched tightly.

"Shepard, we don't have the equipment to set off a large enough explosion to blast that thing off," Kaidan reasoned.

"That's where you're wrong, LT," Shepard said. He walked over to a small container hidden in the corner. He looked over his shoulder and grinned. "So pay attention, lady and gent, because I'm gonna show you a trick a friend of mine showed me."

Kaidan and Liara stared at Shepard for a moment, glanced at each other and followed closely behind him. They watched as he gathered up three containment cells that held radioactive (and combustible) fluid and tied them together with some duct tape he found in one of the nearby desks. He then took five of the grenades he had on him and taped them to the large radioactive tri-cell he had fashioned. Then, casually tossing it from hand to hand, he walked over to the claw and lodged it into one of the joints.

"That should do it," Shepard muttered, smiling at his handiwork.

"What is it?" Kaidan asked.

"It's a small trick my friend with fists that were made of blue fire taught me," Shepard said without looking back. "A big fellow who didn't talk much."

He spun around and walked away from the bomb. When he reached the two, he placed his hands on their chests and pushed them backwards, forcing them to take a few steps back. He turned around and faced the leg.

"Eh, better take a few more steps," Shepard muttered as he turned again and pushed the two backwards. Liara was starting to feel a little uneasy and Kaidan began to wonder if Shepard had finally snapped.

"Alright, let's see if this works," Shepard said, barely hiding his enjoyment.

"Shepard," Liara began. "Why didn't you mention something like this before?"

"Because I'm not entirely sure how big of an explosion this will make," Shepard answered.

"Wait, what?" Kaidan started.

"Counting down, 3!" Shepard called.

"Shouldn't we get behind something?" Liara asked.

"Probably," Shepard answered. "2!"

"Is this safe?" Kaidan asked.

"Probably not," Shepard shouted again. "1! Fire in the hole!"

He pressed a button on his Omni-Tool. It sent a signal to the five grenades strapped onto the radioactive (and combustible) containment cells.

What happened next was an explosion. Not like an explosion that Kaidan and Liara had experienced before. It was an explosion they had never before seen in their entire lives. It was akin to watching something in slow motion. The first explosions they saw were the grenades going off in brilliant displays of yellow and red. This ignited the radioactive cells, which in turn burst open in designs of green. What hit the trio first was a large shockwave that nearly threatened to crush their bodies. It knocked them off their feet and sent them flying into the wall, causing cracks and indentations.

The explosion blew apart the joint of the leg, rupturing the machinery and causing it to become undone. It was enough to dislodge the entire leg, which put pressure on the other legs. Too much pressure and the weight of the drop ship did the rest. It tore gigantic holes in the building, ripping it nearly to shreds. Physics did the rest as the ship fell to the surface below, joining the ruin that was the planet.

The dust began to settle and the trio shook themselves awake.

"What happened?" Liara shouted, trying to get her bearings.

"That," Shepard muttered. "_**Was awesome!**_ I can't believe that actually worked!"

"You ass!" Kaidan screamed, weakly throwing a rock at Shepard's form that bounced off harmlessly. "Give us a little warning before you blow apart the building!"

"I thought I did," Shepard said. "Despite the awesome explosion we just saw, how is everyone?"

"Still alive," Kaidan muttered.

Shepard sat up and shook the dust and debris off him. He casually pushed himself up and stumbled onto his feet. He walked across the ruined room, casually glancing at the rather large window that was recently formed. He came across Liara's coughing form and knelt down next to her.

"How was that?" Shepard asked, grinning. Liara looked at him. She looked around at the destruction around them. Then she found herself smiling.

"Exhilarating!" Liara said simply.

Shepard's grin widened and he took her hand and pulled her onto her feet. She stumbled slightly and fell onto Shepard's chest. Shepard quickly and automatically wrapped his arms around her to support her. Liara's eyes widened and she looked up. Shepard eyes showed only surprise, just as hers showed.

"Sorry," Shepard mumbled as he gently pushed her away.

"I apologize," Liara mumbled as well, scratching her cheek in embarrassment.

"Discounting our broken bones," Kaidan groaned as he pushed himself up. "The barrier that's up around the building and to our communications should be gone now. We can head back to Zhu's Hope and deal with that…Thorian thing."

"Sounds like a plan," Shepard nodded. "Keep your guards up. Could be more geth still in the building."

"_Normandy to shore party! Come in shore party!"_ Came a familiar voice rich with static over their earpieces. "_Are you reading? Normandy to shore party! Come on, Commander, talk to me!"_

"Joker!" Shepard exclaimed. "That you? What's wrong?"

"_We've got a problem!"_Joker exclaimed.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Garrus limped behind Ashley, assault rifle at the ready. Dr. Chakwas held him up, wrapping her arm around his thin waist while she half-held, half-dragged him along. He was still in no shape to be doing heavy lifting or extraneous work of any kind. But the situation demanded it. The colonists had attacked.

It started simply enough: the colonists suddenly began acting stranger than usual. They stretched out their limbs, cracked their necks, and bent their joints in odd positions. Ashley didn't know what to make of it. It wasn't stretching of any kind and it just seemed…forced. Ashley and Garrus along with the doctor tried desperately to understand what they were doing, but they wouldn't say a thing.

And then the screaming started. Like they were in agonizing and crippling pain. But their bodies wouldn't move. They just stood, stiff as a metal beam; their heads bent back and staring into the sky. And they screamed into the burning sky, as if their bodies were being torn piece by piece.

And then they stopped. And they looked at the trio. A turian, a human and a doctor.

"Capture them alive," was all Fai Dan said.

And now, they were running away from the horde of silent humans, chasing after them without thought and without emotion. Ashley cursed under her breath at her inability to shoot back. They were civilians, despite what they were doing now. Instead, she slammed the butt of her gun into the face of any who tried to stop her. She tried to minimize the damage, but it was getting harder as she tired. She had to not only look after Chakwas, a mere doctor and no fighter, but also Garrus as well, who was wounded and in no shape to do battle.

All they could do was keep running and hope to make it to the Normandy in time.

"Keep going! Do not stop!" Ashley shouted as she took point. She ducked as a colonist swung at her with a shovel. Without stopping, she slammed the butt of her gun into the man's knees, sending crippling pain up his leg. He fell to the ground with a grunt and Ashley kept moving.

Garrus huffed as he tried desperately to not be a burden. But each step sent a bolt of pain up his wounded side and made him gasp. He could not last long, not with Chakwas holding him up.

With a grunt, he grabbed the doctor's hand and shoved her forward.

"Keep running! I'll hold them!" Garrus shouted.

"Don't be stupid!" Chakwas tried to grab him again, but Garrus knocked her hand away.

"_**Go now! There's no time!**_" Garrus shouted.

"_**Garrus, you trying to be a hero?"**_ Ashley shouted as she took the doctor's shoulder.

"_**No, just sicking the dog on the angry bear, chief!"**_ Garrus said sarcastically.

"Garrus," Ashley breathed.

"I'll stall them," Garrus told her. "Give you enough time to get to the Normandy and call the Commander. You heard Fai Dan. They want us alive. I'm sure the Commander will think of something. Always does. Now, go!"

Ashley stared at the turian for a moment.

"Aye aye," was all she said before grabbing Chakwas' shoulder and running, dragging her along.

Garrus watched them go for only a moment before turning around and facing the horde. He opened fire on them, aiming above their heads, hoping to make them duck, dodge, something to make them stall for time. Some dodged, some dove out of the way, but most kept running towards Garrus. Grunting, Garrus tried to fire off more rounds, but a thrown rock came out of the sky and collided with his already weakened shields, causing it to dissipate.

A man screamed as he jammed the blade end of his shield into Garrus' side.

Ashley heard Garrus' scream as she ran and gritted her teeth.

"Come on! Get on board!" Ashley yelled.

The Normandy was in sight. Shelter, safety.

"Joker! Open the doors! Let us in!" Ashley yelled.

Something collided into her back, knocking her down the stairs. She grunted as she scraped her cheek across the concrete. Chakwas skidded to a halt and ran back to help her.

"Go! I'll be right behind you!" Ashley ordered. Chakwas looked at her, near panic in her eyes. She looked up and then back towards Ashley. Then she turned around and fled towards the Normandy.

Ashley pushed herself up and tried to run. Something stabbed into her joint, causing her to scream as she felt warm blood flow down her leg. She felt herself get pushed onto her back, pain coursing through her leg. She looked at her attacker.

It was the young boy covered in dirt and oil. His thick lips still glistened. In his hand, he held the bloodied shovel. With one swift move, he raised the shovel over his head. Without emotion, he slammed it down on Ashley's head and her world descended into darkness.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Tali wasn't sure what to do now. She wasn't sure how long she spent shouting into the darkness below where Wrex had fallen. But she had to move on. There was one more water valve she needed to turn on. She would have to finish it on her own.

It was still strange. She wasn't sure if she should consider Wrex dead or alive. He hadn't picked up on any of the transmissions she sent out and all she heard back was static. But he was a krogan. And krogans never died, it seemed.

No, something within Tali told her he was still alive. So, she guessed she would have to wait and trust that he would make it out alive. Besides, she couldn't just sit around doing nothing.

She reached the last glowing panel for the water valve and she looked over the controls. It was the same as the others, so she waved her Omni-Tool over the panel and it turned on. Tali nodded with satisfaction as she heard the water beginning to rush forward through the pipes, filling the hallway with the sound of moving liquid.

Tali also heard the heavy breathing of a man coming up behind her.

She spun around and raised her shotgun.

"Can't…I can't…stop myself," the man said as blood dripped down his leg, his arm and his chin. The bloody knife was held tightly in his hand. It was the same man that Wrex and Tali had come across earlier. "The master's voice…can be so hard to ignore…the whip…oh god the whip is just…_too painful."_

"What master?" Tali asked, keeping her shotgun trained on the delusional man. She, however, didn't want to hurt the poor man.

"No time…no time to think…" the man said, falling against the wall and dragging himself along. A red smear followed behind him. "No time…just…_do!_"

He leaped forward, slashing with his knife. Tali cursed as she jumped backwards and put away her shotgun. She didn't want to use it against him. Instead, she cart wheeled backwards onto her hands and spun on the palm of her hand, spreading her legs apart and pirouetted, kicking the knife out of the man's hands. She landed back onto her feet and took a step back, ready for anything.

"My name…is Ian Newstead…" the man breathed. "I…don't want…to fight…I…"

He snarled as he leapt forward, right into Tali's foot as she kicked him in the temple. She continued her spin and kicked him in the stomach. Ian was launched backwards, falling against a nearby pipe. All Tali could hope for now was to beat him into submission.

"The master…has awakened…" Ian coughed. "He wants…you all to…disappear…to be gone…by any means necessary."

Ian leapt to the side and grappled for the knife that was knocked out of his hand. And before Tali could react, Ian placed the knife against his throat. For a brief, tension filled moment no one said a thing.

"I think…the master wants you to come with me…" Ian said, tears mixing with the blood on his face. "If you don't…I guess I'll have to kill myself…"

Tali didn't wasn't sure what to do now.

"Drop your weapons," Ian commanded.

\::/::\::/::\::/

"_Pressly ordered a Code Red Lockdown on the Normandy!"_ Joker relayed. "_Something happened to the colonists. Chakwas said they just…attacked! They have Garrus and Ashley. Tali and Wrex still haven't returned from the sewers. She doesn't know if any of them are still alive, but she thinks so. Not very promising but there you go. Now the colonists are clawing around the ship, banging on the hull and trying to break their way in. Its…its like a scene out of a bad zombie movie."_

"Guess the Thorian decided now was the best way to retake the colony," Kaidan surmised.

"Joker, they can't do any real damage," Shepard said. "Tell Pressly to just sit tight. I'm on my way back."

"_Uh…yeah, okay, we'll just…sit here on our hands,_" Joker didn't sound pleased at all. "_In a cramped ship…waiting for the end."_

"_Oh, grow a spine,"_ Shepard heard Pressly call out harshly.

"_I would if it would just stop breaking!"_ Joker complained.

Shepard shook his head and turned off the radio.

"Alright," Shepard breathed, rubbing his temple unconsciously. "We need to head back to Zhu's Hope."

"There you are!"

Shepard grabbed his pistol and aimed it at the direction of the voice. It was Lizbeth, who nearly fell over when Shepard took aim.

"Whoa! It's me! It's me!" Lizbeth cried out as she raised her hands. Shepard sighed as he holstered his weapon.

"Didn't I tell you stay put?" Shepard sighed.

"There were geth all over the place! I had to move or else they'd find me!" Lizbeth protested. "It's not safe here. We'd better get out of here."

"Not so fast," Shepard said coldly. His blue eyes held a secret fire within them as he met Lizbeth's eyes. For a brief moment, she knew fear. With lightning fast reflexes, he snatched her by her coat and held her above the floor with ease. "You lied to me."

"Lied? About what!" Lizbeth tried to squirm, but her feet weren't touching the ground.

"You knew about the Thorian," Shepard said, ice in his eyes. "And about what ExoGeni was allowing to happen to the colonists at Zhu's Hope. You mind explaining why you didn't mention any of this?"

Lizbeth stared, terror on her face as she saw Shepard's anger and frustration. Her lip trembled slightly.

"Sir, is would be best if you put her down," Kaidan said softly as he placed a hand on Shepard's arm firmly. Shepard looked at Kaidan and then back at Lizbeth. With a scoff, he dropped her onto her feet, where she stumbled backwards. Liara took her comfortingly by the shoulders and held her up.

"I…" Lizbeth began meekly. "I was _afraid!_ I wanted to stop the tests, but…they threatened me! Told me I'd be next! And they threatened they'd kill my mother! I…I was trapped! But the geth attack gave me a chance to make things right, I guess. When everyone else was evacuating, I stayed behind to send a message to colonial affairs. But before I could send the message and tell them where to find the Thorian, the power cut out and I was trapped. I…I never meant for this to happen! You have to believe me!"

Seemingly unmoved, Shepard stared down at Lizbeth, the same icy fire present within them as before. Then he sighed.

"I have no choice but to believe you," Shepard said, rubbing his forehead. "Where exactly is the Thorian?"

"Right beneath Zhu's Hope," Lizbeth replied. "Beyond the sewers. The entrance is blocked though. The colonists covered it up with a piece of the ship they arrived in, the Borealis, when the geth attacked."

"That doesn't explain why the hell Saren would bother looking for the Thorian," Shepard muttered.

"The Thorian does have mind-control capabilities, Commander," Kaidan offered.

"That's what ExoGeni was interested about in the first place," Lizbeth said.

"No, it's not that," Shepard said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Saren is working with the Reapers. He wouldn't bother with simple mind-control. And besides, the geth are trying to destroy the Thorian. Why kill the very thing you need to control people's minds? It doesn't make sense."

"_Normandy to shore party, come in,"_ Joker's voice chimed in yet again.

"Miss me already?" Shepard asked sarcastically.

"_Don't flatter yourself, you're not that pretty,_" Joker…joked. "_We're picking up a lot of geth chatter. I can't speak mathematical speech but from where the communications are coming from, it looks like they're heading your way."_

"Fan-fucking-tastic," Shepard sighed. Then a thought occurred to him. "Lizbeth, you said that you had to move because the geth were swarming your position. Do you know if any followed you here?"

"Uh…" Lizbeth began.

An electronically induced squeal answered his question.

"Great," Kaidan sighed, readying his pistol and Omni-Tool.

"We need to get to the Mako and back to Zhu's Hope. _Now_," Shepard said.

"I'm coming with you!" Lizbeth said in a demanding tone. "I may be able to help! Undo the mess I helped create."

Shepard didn't look at her but could hear the regret in her voice.

"If we're going to get out of here, you do exactly as you're told, understand?" Shepard ordered.

"I do!" Lizbeth nodded.

Shepard didn't seem to hear her. All thoughts were slowly beginning to fade as he entered a state of focus, clearing away all thoughts of all kind. He, instead, became a being of cause and effect; a being of pure instinct and survival. The fire within his eyes faded away as his emotions died. He no longer needed to think. He saw the situation in front of him and he knew instantly what to do about it. He was clearly here and now.

"The hallways in this building are small," Shepard spoke tonelessly. "Larger than the hallways of the Torfan base, but still small. They can only hold two and a half people standing side by side. That means they will come at us one at a time. I'll take point. Kaidan, you back me up and take out any I either miss or can't reach. Liara, you'll look after Lizbeth. Protect her at all costs."

Kaidan nodded and Liara's biotics flared.

"One speed," Shepard spoke without emotion. "Mine. Time is against us now."

Shepard walked with purpose towards the corner leading to the main corridor. He flexed his fingers, causing them to crack and pop. He rolled his head along his neck, popping the joints there. He then stretched his shoulder muscles as he rolled his arms forward. He was ready.

He took position at the corner rounding towards the main corridor and leaned against it. He took a deep, calming breath and looked at his companions. Kaidan was ready, Omni-Tool glowing brightly and pistol ready to kill. Liara was ablaze with biotic fire, a new kind of determination within her eyes.

Shepard turned his attention forward again and breathed. He closed his eyes and with his right hand, he reached for the knife strapped to his arm. As he closed his fist around the handle, a feeling sparked in his fingers, familiar and clear. The blade slid from the sheath, sending that feeling up his arm and throughout his body. Without thoughts or emotions to block this cool feeling, it swam throughout his focused being.

Shepard knew at once it was the adrenaline kicking in, his body reacting to the touch and feel of the knife in his hand. His body was getting ready for a fight and without thoughts and emotions blocking this feeling, it produced a peculiar effect. It was a cool tingling effect throughout his body.

It made him giggle.

He spun without warning from around the corner and his hand clamped hard into the throat of the geth trooper. With strength alone, he tore out where the throat would have been in an organic. Dropping the tube from his hand, he stabbed downward into its flashlight head and twisted. He dropped it and ran over it. He heard Kaidan put a pistol round into the body. Unnecessary but he was being careful.

Shepard reached behind his body towards his shotgun and whipped it out. He placed it under the next geth's head and squeezed the trigger, spraying its contents onto the ceiling. He did not slow down as the geth fell to the ground and he moved on to the next geth, slashing its arms and kicking it down to the ground so Kaidan could finish it.

He didn't have time to spare on these machines, so he wasted a little energy as possible. He smashed one's head against the wall and another he merely stabbed its eye. Others he blew apart with his shotgun. His body was trained in close quarters combat. He had learned how to use his knife from his father on Mindoir and had perfected it on Torfan.

The walls enclosing across him were very much like the hallways of that distant moon base. Crowded and dark. Comrades behind him and enemies in front. There are differences though, between here and Torfan.

There are no screams from his enemies as they died. And there are no screams from his comrades as they died.

* * *

Well, hello there. If you're keeping up with my Fable story, then you should know that I'm not dead. Mentally, I am but physically, I'm just exhausted. Summer classes. 6 credit hours crammed into 4 weeks. Ugh. But I'm done with that.

Overlord DLC came out recently, and I have to say, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Gameplay wise, same old Mass Effect 2 awesomeness. Some new play around with the Hammerhead. It's much better than the Mako, but so much weaker. Oh well, at least it doesn't overturn and then inexplicably rights itself like a cat.

Where it really excels is the story. At first, I thought it would be your normal "man tries to control technology and it bites him in the face" story. But its not. It's a rather deep and emotional story when you get down to it. Bioware took the story where I wasn't expecting it to go. Buy it, play it, enjoy it for two hours.

I'm out. Updates should be much more frequent than before.


	51. Chapter 41: Weapons of Persuasion

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«5.07: Attican Beta: Theseus System: Feros: Prothean Skyway»

«or Weapons of Persuasion»

To Shepard, it seemed that all kinds of hell had broken loose. First the geth decide to actively ruin Shepard's good day by attacking a helpless colony. Then, the corporation mention that there's a giant plant-like thingy below the colony that is slowly taking over the minds of the people and that the colony he had been sent to defend is actually a giant testing ground for the big bad corporation. On top of that, he had been dealing with a massive migraine that he was barely keeping contained within his throbbing head.

And now, for some reason, Juliana Baynham was on the emergency channel begging for help while the prick Ethan Jeong was screaming at her.

"_-This is Juliana Baynham of Feros colony! Please! Help us!-"_ the woman's voice screamed.

"-_Get the fuck away from there! Now-!"_ yelled Jeong before communications cut out altogether.

"That's my mom!" Lizbeth screamed into Shepard's ear. She frantically clawed at the hatch, trying to get it open. "_**Stop the rover!"**_

"Stay in the Mako!" Kaidan ordered her, but as Shepard slowed to a halt, she popped out of the hatch and fell onto her hands and knees. She tore her way forward, desperate to get to her mother.

"Why doesn't that girl ever listen?" Shepard wondered, massaging his temple. "Liara, can you please stop her before she causes more problems?"

Nodding, she reached out with her biotics and created a barrier around Lizbeth's body, freezing her in place. To Lizbeth, it felt like concrete had suddenly dried up around her body, stopping her movements. Her eyes were still able to move and her ears worked perfectly. She heard the squad hop out of the Mako and onto the ground. He heard Shepard order Hal to keep an eye on the situation around them and to alert him to any danger. Then the three walked up to Lizbeth and stood in front of her.

Shepard nodded and Liara released the barrier around Lizbeth, dropping her to the ground. She coughed several times before looking up at Shepard angrily.

"What are you waiting for? My mother could be in danger!" Lizbeth accused.

"We don't know what's going on, Ms. Baynham," Shepard stated coldly, his eyes leering down at her. "Now is not the time to be rushing forward. What if you had gotten shot? There are too many unknowns about this situation. We need to assess the situation and then make a plan."

"But-!" Lizbeth protested.

"We understand how you feel, Lizbeth," Kaidan said warmly. "But going into a hostile situation with no knowledge of what we're getting into gets people killed."

"There's a time to let your emotions guide your actions and then there's a time to let your brain guide your actions," Shepard stated. "This is the latter. Now, are you going to be a good girl and listen to what I say, or are am I going to have to tie you up in the Mako?"

Lizbeth bit her lip and focused on the ground. In the end, they were right.

"I understand," Lizbeth mumbled.

"Good," Shepard said, then grabbed his assault rifle from over his right shoulder. "Now, we move silently and without drawing attention. I'll take point. No talking."

Shepard peeked around the corner and looked down the ramp. There was plenty of excited movement at the bottom of the ramp, but it seemed all the guards attention was focused inwards, away from the exit. Shepard raised his assault rifle to eye-level and crouch-walked to a nearby crate, taking cover behind it. Kaidan followed closely behind him, pistol raised up to his eye. Liara and Lizbeth followed behind him.

Shepard motioned for Kaidan to take up a position on the other side of the hallway, behind another crate. Kaidan skillfully and silently took up position across from Shepard, where he had a better view of the area. Liara and Lizbeth crouched behind Shepard and hugged close to the wall. They all listened intently at the growing din of the conversation.

"You can't do this Jeong!" Juliana said in an accusatory manner.

"Shut up! Just…just let me think!" Jeong exclaimed. He was pacing back and forth uncontrollably, hands on his head, eyes wide with growing fear.

"What's going on?" Lizbeth whispered. Shepard looked at her and moved his thumb across his neck. Basically, he told her to shut up.

"You won't get away with this!" Juliana all but shouted. "There are women and children down there!"

"You think I _want_ to do this?" Jeong spun around to her. "It's not that simple! When the company gives orders, you follow them! Now get her out of here!" A nearby guard walked up and grabbed Juliana by her shoulders.

"We were supposed to protect the colony!" Juliana spat out, resisting with each step.

"_**And now I'm protecting our interests!"**_ Jeong shouted. And in a fit of anger, backhanded her across her face, sending her sprawling onto the ground.

"_**Keep your hands off her, you son of a bitch!"**_ Lizbeth screamed and broke from hiding. Liara tried to catch her but she escaped from her grasp. Soon, all eyes and guns were pointing at their direction.

"Lizbeth!" Juliana cried, a mixture of joy and fear. Lizbeth rushed to her side and hugged her mother tightly, not wanting to let go.

"_**What the fuck did I just say?"**_ Shepard shouted in anger and frustration.

"Dammit!" Jeong cried. "Come-Come out where I can see you! All of you!"

Sighing, Shepard motioned Kaidan and Liara to follow closely. Shepard stood up tall and proud as he walked, with his hands in the air, down the remainder of the ramp and into the room. All guns were pointing straight at him, though most were shaking with trepidation. They weren't soldiers.

"Shepard," Jeong muttered angrily. "I guess it was too much to hope the geth would kill you. Take their weapons!" The guards moved forward cautiously and stripped the trio of their weaponry. One male guard reached out and unsheathed Shepard's knife and dropped it by his feet, quickly backing away. Shepard stared him down the entire time, causing him to shift uncomfortably on his feet.

"Yeah, you really lost the bet on that one," Shepard replied as they were stripping his weapons.

"You're not really in a position to be making jokes, Shepard," Jeong said haughtily.

"Yet, here I am making them," Shepard stated, smirking. Jeong sweated a little.

"I've read some…interesting things about you on the ExoGeni databases," Jeong continued. "You've had an active career. I know about what you did during the Blitz, on Torfan and on Akuze. War just seems to follow you."

"I've heard that before," Shepard muttered. Kaidan and Liara shifted on their feet.

"I'll bet," Jeong nodded. "But we don't need any of that here. We've got in under control."

"Sure you do," Shepard said, looking at the guards around him. "That must be why all these people look terrified. Because you've got it all under control." His sarcasm was thick and Jeong heard it. He stared intently Shepard, terror and fear hidden under a blank mask on his face.

"It's not that simple," Jeong began. "Communications are back up. ExoGeni…wants this place purged."

"Purged?" Liara gasped. "The _entire_ colony?"

"ExoGeni wants to cover its tracks," Kaidan muttered. "And what's the easiest way? Destroy all evidence. And with the geth around, it'll provide the best cover. No one will ask questions. Zhu's Hope will be another unfortunate casualty against the geth."

"This is a human colony!" Lizbeth exclaimed, holding close to her mother. "You can't just repurpose us!"

"This colony belongs to ExoGeni!" Jeong shouted back. "They can repurpose this settlement however they want to! Besides, you know what's on this planet! Something more valuable than a few colonists!"

"You're after the one unique thing Feros has," Liara stated. "The Thorian."

"The what?" Juliana asked.

"It's a telepathic life form living underneath Zhu's Hope," Lizbeth said quietly. "Zhu's Hope was used as a control group to fully understand just what the Thorian was capable of. Now its taken control of the minds of all the colonists there."

"And they're putting my crew in danger," Shepard reminded them, crossing his arms as he was tired of holding them up in the air.

"So you willingly put the colonists in danger, as part of an experiment?" Juliana accused.

"Don't act all high and mighty! Your daughter knew about it as well!" Jeong stated coldly.

"Lizbeth?" Juliana looked at her daughter, unsure of what to think.

"I…" Lizbeth stammered.

"And now, I'm going to do my job!" Jeong exclaimed, sweat on his face. "Zhu's Hope will be purged, all evidence of it erased!"

"Can you even hold a gun properly?" Shepard asked, noting his trembling. "If you can't, you don't have to right to talk about massacring people."

"I do what I'm ordered to," Jeong replied. "Same as you, soldier. What else would you call what you and your men did on Torfan?"

Shepard looked at Jeong for a moment, a blank expression on his face. A cool silence fell upon the group as Shepard regarded the man in front of him. Kaidan looked over at Shepard, a worried expression on his face, while Liara tried to understand what was going on.

"We called it a lot of things," Shepard began in a low voice. "The men who fought and died there called it what they wanted to call it. Some called it justice. Others called it revenge. Others called it a job. There were even some who called it fun. We all had different reasons to answer the call to arms. But our reasons for doing it had nothing to do with what we did. What we did was war. What we did was orchestrate chaos. Some of us enjoy it because its how we deal with it. Others can't deal with it and crack. But we all took responsibility for what we did. The fact that we were ordered to do it doesn't excuse the fact that we butchered thousands, no matter how much they deserved it. There are hundreds of people in history who massacred trillions of innocent people because, quote unquote, 'they were ordered to do it.' We all owned up to our actions on that day. Now, you want to commit murder to the very people you were supposed to protect. And you're going to say that you were ordered to do it. So, realize this now. Don't presume to think that a sniveling little, pencil-pusher who knows only how to sit behind a desk and order people around can ever be on the same level of the men and women who died on Torfan."

Jeong stared at Shepard, his mask of calm completely shattered. Shepard towered over him, eyes seemingly glowing menacingly. Sweat poured down his face and his trembling was visible.

"And now we come to where we are, here and now," Shepard continued, staring down at the little man. "You wish to do your job and kill those people. I can't allow that and ExoGeni can't do anything about it. I could say that I'm a Spectre and I don't answer to them, which is true. I could also say that I'm an Alliance Marine and that I took an oath to protect the humanity's colonies as we make our mark on the galaxy, which is also true. But the main reason I'll put you down like the lapdog you are is because I've seen a true massacre on Torfan. Too many people died on that day, most of which didn't have to. And I'll be damned if I let it happen here, to those who aren't even at fault. So here's what's going to happen; if you put down your weapon, I will let you go and be on my way to see what I can do for the colonists. If you keep pointing that weapon at me, so help me god, I will kill you with my bare hands."

Silence fell upon the group as the tension rose. Shepard stared at Jeong and Jeong stared back, one with complete fear in his eyes, the other with merciless vengeance. Kaidan kept an eye on the guards, to see what they would do next. They all had uncertainty written on their faces as well, unsure of what to do next, and all were sweating visibly as he aimed his pistol at the group.

Liara on the other hand, was watching Shepard. She felt it deep in her…gut, she supposed, that she had to help Shepard in some way. They all needed weapons to defend themselves. Maybe not to kill but to show they were not as defenseless as they supposed. She realized that the guards made one mistake: their weapons were lying by their feet.

"Well," Jeong whispered, biting his lips. "If that's the way it's going to be…"

Jeong gripped tightly on his gun and Shepard loosened his hand. That was all a signal Liara needed.

The blue fire of her biotics flared around her body as she focused it into her fist. Gritting her teeth at the strain, she punched her hand into the ground beneath them, releasing the biotic fury as she did. The shockwave sent almost all of them off their feet, but it also launched their weapons into the air. Shepard reached out and grabbed his knife as Kaidan grabbed an assault rifle in mid-air.

Kaidan spun around and held out his arm, Omni-Tool glowing in the setting sun. With protocols hardwired to recognize finger positions, the Omni-Tool sent a burst of signals through his open hand. These signals found their homes within the weapons of the guards and with one wave of his hand, all their weapons exploded in their hands.

Jeong, in terror and fear, raised his gun and fired wildly, screaming as he did. Shepard didn't blink. With cold confidence, he leaned to the side, allowing the bullets to zip past his head. He reached out with his free hand and grabbed Jeong's hand, pulling it close to his body. And as he pulled towards himself, he pushed the knife away from himself, aiming for Jeong's puny neck.

And after a heartbeat, it was over. Kaidan had his assault rifle trained on the guards, making sure they stayed where they are. Liara glowed her brilliant blue fire as she used fear to intimidate the guards to remain complacent.

"Commander?" Kaidan asked.

"We're good," Shepard replied, holding his blade a hair's breadth from Jeong's sweaty neck. Jeong stared at Shepard, shock and horror on his face. Shepard's face betrayed nothing. To Jeong though, he saw his death coming before him. So, he promptly fainted.

Shepard let him fall to the ground, holding onto his weapon as he fell with a large thud. He breathed out a sigh and field stripped Jeong's gun, taking it apart bit by bit in a blink of an eye. In less than a minute, the gun lay in tiny pieces on the ground. He looked over at the guards they had so casually defeated.

"If I can do that without breaking a sweat, just imagine what I can do to you when I work at it," Shepard whispered. It wasn't a threat. It was a fact.

Soon enough, everyone began to relax visibly as the squad picked their weapons up from the ground. As the two soldiers made sure their weapons weren't damaged, Liara winced and rubbed her right hand.

"You okay?" Shepard asked.

"It's fine, Shepard," Liara assured him. "I just…"

"She punched the ground," Kaidan finished for her.

"Damn, I'll bet that hurt," Shepard said as he walked towards Liara. And without a second word, he grabbed her hand and examined it thoroughly. Liara held her breath, not used to the contact. Shepard didn't notice.

"It doesn't look broken," Shepard said as Liara's cheeks turned purple as blood rushed to her head. "You must have hit the ground pretty damn hard."

"I…was kind of thinking on my toes," Liara replied, looking away.

"Good job with that, by the way," Shepard said. "That was pretty cool. You probably just sprained your wrist. Go easy on it and you should be fine."

"Okay," Liara replied.

They stared into each other's eyes for a brief moment.

"Can I have my hand back?" Liara asked.

"Oh! Yeah," Shepard said, releasing her hand.

"Um, Commander?" Lizbeth tentatively said, walking up from behind with Juliana walking beside her. Shepard looked at her.

"Oh, sorry," Shepard muttered. "Forgot you were there."

"I, uh, have an idea of how you should handle the colonists," Lizbeth began. "That doesn't involve you killing them all. It's the least I could do since…"

Juliana smacked her in the back of the head. Lizbeth let out a yelp and grabbed her head.

"Now, don't you start with that," Juliana scolded. "You did good work and you know it. Besides, now's not the time to be hung up on who didn't do what. What matters is what we're going to do now."

"If I can avoid another massacre, I'd be grateful," Shepard stated.

"You can," Lizbeth replied. She activated her Omni-Tool and began working. "I believe that with the Thorian's spores active in the colonists immune system, they'll be susceptible nerve agents."

"The insecticides we use in the gro-labs," Juliana said thoughtfully. "They contain trace amounts of tetraclopine, a neuromuscular degenerator. If their nervous systems are already weakened, it may act as a paralyzer."

"Releasing toxic gas clouds?" Shepard asked sarcastically. "Yeah, that'll do _wonders_ to my lungs. Hell, I was already killing them with cigarettes, let's add mustard gas."

"It's not like its weapons grade!" Lizbeth retorted. "Besides, you're immune system shouldn't be as weak as the colonists! The worst you'll get is maybe a small cough."

"C'mon, Commander," Kaidan said playfully. "You're not afraid of a little cough, are you?"

"Watch it, Lieutenant," Shepard warned with a smile.

"Besides, we probably won't hear about the side-affects until we're at least 50," Kaidan continued.

"Yeah, yeah," Shepard replied, shaking his head. "We'll do it. Make as much as you can and be quick about it. Ashley and the others don't have the luxury of time."

\::/::\::/::\::/

Ashley came to in a daze, with her head seemingly on fire. She groaned as tried to sit up and found her arms tied behind her back. She felt warm blood slowly ooze down from her head and dripping onto the ground. Overall, she felt like crap.

"Nice to see you're alive," Garrus said as he lay down beside her, arms tied behind his back. "I was afraid you might be dead."

"I may as well be," Ashley retorted. "My head is killing me. Where are we?"

"Zhu's Hope," Garrus replied. "They brought us to one of their warehouses. They kept us alive but I don't know why. Probably have something planned for us, but they haven't said anything."

Ashley nodded and gazed around the room, her eyes trying to get used to the darkness.

"I let you get a head start, and you sill get caught," Garrus muttered.

"Shut up," Ashley shot back.

The door opened and a bright stream of light shot into the room, blinding both of them. Four colonists strode into the mechanically. Ashley recognized one of them as Macha Doyle, the woman in charge of fixing their water problem. Two of them grabbed Ashley's arms and hauled her onto her feet as the other two did the same to Garrus, though with more ruthlessness.

"Ah! Ow! Easy!" Garrus complained. "My ribs are barely holding together!"

The colonists said nothing. They just pushed him harder.

The dragged them both outside into the setting sun, allowing Ashley the chance to look at their odds. By the looks of it, they were all changed now. She didn't know what it was, but she guessed it had something to do with Saren, though she wasn't sure if Saren was the cause of it. Regardless, the colonists were now not afraid of killing them for whatever reason.

They were dragged into the center of the colony where they saw something that shocked them.

"Tali!" Garrus cried out before they slammed him down onto the ground.

"Garrus! Ashley!" Tali cried in response. "Are you both oka-?"

She was cut off as Ian Newstead slammed the butt of his rifle into the back of her head. With a gasp, she fell to the ground.

"_**You bastard!"**_ Garrus shouted before receiving the same treatment as Tali.

"No talking," Davin Reynolds said without emotion.

Ashley looked around, trying to understand the situation. Each of them had around 3 guards and they were all stuck in the center of the colony. Fai Dan was conversing with Arcelia about something. She couldn't tell if it was something good or bad, though. They betrayed no emotions of any kind. It was as if every colonist had left behind their emotions, like it was useless to have them.

Ashley looked over a Garrus. He was tough, but he was still wounded in his side from his bout with that geth Prime. He could fight but not without sustaining more injuries to his side. Tali, on the other hand, was in fit condition to fight. Wrex…

"Tali, where's Wrex?" Ashley asked, noticing his disappearance.

"That's what I would like to know," Fai Dan stated as he walked up to Tali with Arcelia at his side. "You went into the sewers with the krogan. You come back out without him. Where is he?"

"I don't know," Tali replied. Arcelia slammed the butt of her rifle into the side of Tali's face. Garrus tried to move toward Tali but he was shoved back into the dirt.

"Where is the krogan?" Fai Dan asked again.

"I don't know!" Tali said flatly. Ian Newstead kicked her in the side, causing her to yelp.

"Where is the krogan?" Fai Dan asked again.

"_**I don't know!"**_ Tali sputtered. She coughed as she curled into a ball, awaiting the next blow. It didn't come. Fai Dan stared at Tali's form for a moment. He held out his hand and Arcelia handed him a pistol. Ian Newstead grabbed Tali's shoulder and held her upright. The others did the same for Ashley and Garrus.

Fai Dan raised the pistol and placed it against Tali's helmet. She showed no reaction that could be seen through her helmet. He held it there for a moment before moving onto Ashley. He placed the pistol against her head and watched Tali's reaction. None that could be seen. Ashley started sweating a little, but nothing. Fai Dan moved towards Garrus and held the pistol at the turians head. Tali's body moved towards Garrus slightly.

Greta Reynolds slammed her pistol at Garrus' head, forcing him onto the ground. They cut his bonds and held his arms apart. And they forcibly took off his armor.

"What the hell are you guys doing?" Ashley exclaimed.

"Stop!" Tali shouted.

They ignored them and Fai Dan waited patiently and quietly as they took off his armor from the waist up, exposing his rough skin and boney body. They cut away the bandage from his ribs and exposed the open wound. With great strength, they held him down on the ground. Fai Dan turned to Tali.

"Where is the krogan?" Fai Dan asked.

"I…I…I…" Tali stuttered.

Not waiting for an answer, the little boy covered in dirt and oil walked up to Garrus. With almost childlike innocence, he grabbed the turian's sniper rifle. In response to his touch, the rifle unlocked itself, opening up from its compact position and extending the barrel. Under Fai Dan's watchful eye, the young boy lifted up the sniper rifle and (while nearly tripping under its weight) handed it to Fai Dan. Fai Dan lifted up to his eye, peering down the scope. He examined it thoroughly.

He then plunged the barrel into Garrus' wound.

Garrus gritted his teeth and tried not to scream. His blue blood oozed from the wound, forming a puddle on the ground.

"Where is the krogan?" Fai Dan asked again.

"_**S-Stop it!"**_ Tali begged.

Garrus screamed and coughed out blood at the same time as the barrel moved in another inch.

"Tell me where the krogan is," Fai Dan stated.

"**You bastard!"** Ashley shouted.

"_**I told you I don't know!"**_ Tali screamed. _**"He was attacked by the Alpha Varren! They were knocked into a pit! I don't know where he is now! I don't even know if he's alive!"**_

Garrus screamed out a blood-filled turian curse as the barrel move in another inch.

"_**Stop! Please stop!"**_ Tali screamed.

A crack formed in the ground, catching Fai Dan's attention. Stopping for a moment, he stared at the crack in the ground, ignoring the pleas from the quarian and the human as well as the shouts from the wounded turian.

The crack grew larger.

Fai Dan tore the sniper rifle from Garrus' side, now covered in blue turian blood. He moved back a few steps, keeping an eye on the crack. The other colonists also looked at the crack, now slowly growing larger and larger. Garrus breathed deeply as Ashley moved closer to him.

"Goddamn, that hurt," Garrus groaned weakly, holding his side limply.

A large, rhythmic thud was heard from beneath their feet. From the crack, the ground slowly began to rise up with each thud, each sound like a heartbeat growing louder and louder. The colonists raised their weapons at the mound. Tali moved to Garrus' side and examined his wound, making sure hw as alright while Ashley watched with growing confusion as the thudding grew louder and louder.

Then the thudding stopped.

The ground exploded in a detonation of dirt and concrete, sending plumes of dust everywhere. Everyone shielded themselves from the blast while Tali protected Garrus with her body. No one saw it but something was ejected from the hole.

There was another large thud as something landed in front of Davin Reynolds. Ashley narrowed her eyes in consternation as she realized what it was. Tali looked up and saw the form on the ground and gasped as she realized what it was.

It was the red-skinned Alpha Varren with its neck snapped in half.

Through the clouds of dust, a large figure emerged from the hole. And as the dust faded away, everyone stared with growing confusion. Garrus' eyes were wide, Tali's were even wider. Ashley's mouth was gaping open.

Wrex shook off the dust and dirt from his body and spat out brown water. From head to toe, he was dripping wet from some kind of brown water and was covered in the trash and muck from Zhu's Hope. He cracked his neck as he grabbed a brown…something from his shoulder and plopped it onto the ground. He looked over at the trio.

"You don't want to know," Wrex grumbled slowly as thick greenish-brown liquid poured out of his armor. "Where I've been for the last two hours."

* * *

Took longer than expected. Sorry, but here ya go. Not really saying anything with Shepard's rant, except with what's already there.

I was originally going to have Shepard kill Jeong by slicing his throat (spraying blood on Shepard's face in the process), but as I wrote out the scene, it felt completely…wrong, I guess is the word. I guess as I've written this, I came to understand Shepard's character and I realized that in this situation, Shepard wouldn't kill Jeong, much as he would love to.

Oh, and Wrex is a badass.

And with that, I don't have anything more to say, really.


	52. Chapter 42: Some Strange Gas

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«5.08: Attican Beta: Theseus System: Feros: Zhu's Hope»

«or Some Strange Gas»

"You don't want to know," Wrex grumbled slowly as thick greenish-brown liquid poured out of his armor. "Where I've been for the last two hours."

Ashley and Tali stared in stunned silence as Garrus pressed his hands weakly against the wound, which bled profusely, forming a pool of blue blood around him. Wrex took several deep breaths as he tried to recoup the energy he lost while traversing the sewers and dragging that dead varren along. Wrex snorted and spat out something nasty onto the ground.

"Wrex?" Tali whispered. "You're alive?"

"Yeah," Wrex replied. "I think I might need a bath, but I'm good."

It was at that moment that he noticed the colonists aiming at him with their rifles and pistols.

"What the hell's going on?" Wrex asked, slightly amused by the colonists.

"Colonists have gone nuts and decided the best way to vent their insanity is by shoving a 57-inch sniper rifle barrel into me," Garrus groaned, breathing steadily.

"Hands up," Fai Dan muttered, holding his weapon towards the krogan's head, proving the turian's point.

"Human," Wrex said slowly and deliberately. "If you point that thing at me any longer, I will tear you apart, limb from limb."

"Wrex, don't!" Ashley shouted pleadingly. "Something's wrong with them! They're not themselves!"

"What's wrong is the fact that this guy thinks he can point a gun at me and get away with it," Wrex replied harshly, squaring his shoulders threateningly.

"Wrex!" Ashley shouted again.

"Down on the ground. Now," Fai Dan commanded, aiming the gun barrel straight into Wrex's eye. Wrex didn't blink.

Roaring in anger, he rushed forward. Fai Dan raised the gun and tried to fire but was too late. Wrex swept him aside with one mighty swing of his arm, hurling him into the air and out of sight. Wrex spun around to prepare for the onslaught of gunfire that was sure to follow.

There was a clink and something shiny flashed through the air, catching the attention of the krogan, whose instincts were running at full capacity. There was another clink and the human, quarian and turian's attention were caught as the shiny object landed on the ground, bounced a couple times, rolled in a circle and landed flat on the ground.

Lying at their feet was a grenade.

It exploded in a green cloud that spread across the colonists. It spread quickly with the wind and filled their lungs. The colonists began to cough violently, falling to their knees and heaving onto the ground. Soon, their coughing stopped and their bodies went limp.

Ashley coughed as she rolled onto her knees, the green gas filling her lungs. She didn't know what this stuff was, but she felt it was best to stay out of it. She perked up as she heard footsteps running towards her. Squinting through the mist and dust, she spied a figure running through the smoke towards her.

"Turn over!" Shepard exclaimed. Without a word, Ashley rolled onto her side and held out her bound hands. Without a single word, Shepard gripped his knife and pulled it from his sheath. In one swift and fluid movement, he slashed downward, cutting through the rope that tied her hands together. The rope broke apart and Ashley pulled her arms apart, free at last.

Leaping to her feet, Ashley spied Shepard already engaged with a colonist that wasn't hit by the gas. She saw him duck to the side and run forward, slamming his knee into the man's stomach. He coughed as he doubled over. Shepard finished him off with a chop to the back of his neck, knocking him out cold.

"Don't kill any of them!" Shepard ordered to his team. "Just knock them out!"

"Easy for you to say!" Wrex growled as head butted a woman into the ground, crumpling her body with a single strike.

Shepard surveyed the situation, trying to account for his team. Tali was busy pulling a cursing Garrus to a safe place, obscure and out of the way. Kaidan was pinned down behind a crate while two coughing colonists were shooting at him. Shepard clicked his tongue against his teeth and ran towards the two colonists from behind, taking them both by surprise. Roaring, he slammed his leg into the back of one of the colonist's knee, bringing him down to the ground. Rounding his left arm, he punched the downed man in the neck, knocking him out instantly.

The second colonist turned and fired wordlessly at Shepard. The bullets bounced off Shepard's shields and he darted forward, punching the attacker in the face, breaking the nose. He followed the punch with another in the stomach, and finished it with a knee to the face. Finished, he turned to see which of the other colonists were still fighting back.

Liara and Wrex were having little trouble with the colonists they were fighting against. Wrex was a trained krogan battlemaster, and thoroughly ticked off at the smell that emanated off his body. Like any good krogan, he vented his frustration by bashing skulls together. Liara was a trained asari biotic and used it effectively and majestically, with more precision than any biotic trained in the Alliance.

Ashley coughed and went to work to knock out the remainder of the colonists. She ran up to a woman on the side that was shooting and slid leg first on the ground. She spun her lower body and kicked her legs out from underneath her. She brought her leg down on her stomach, knocking the breath out of her lungs. Ashley crawled onto the colonist's body and punched her in the face, knocking her head into the concrete with enough force to render her unconscious but not with enough force to damage anything permanently.

Ashley heard a click and she looked up. The little dirt and oil covered boy was aiming a pistol at Ashley's head, eyes dead and emotionless. Ashley could have dashed across and knocked the pistol out of his hands. She could have knocked the boy out with the strength she had. But she froze. He was still a boy. A child.

There was a gunshot and Ashley jumped in surprise. The little boy stumbled back, hands trembling as the pistol slid across the ground. Shepard holstered his pistol and walked up to the boy, who snarled at him. Ashley stared wide-eyed as Shepard towered over the boy. Shepard grabbed his sniper rifle and grabbed it by the barrel. He swung it around and crashed it into the boy's head. He crumpled to the ground, knocked out cold.

"Hesitate like that, Chief, and you're going to get yourself killed," Shepard reminded her. Ashley couldn't say anything.

And then there was silence. The green gas slowly dissipated, clearing their vision and revealing the result of their work. Bodies lay strewn across the square, some shuddering and twitching. Macha Doyle lay on her back with her dirty blonde hair covering her face. Davin Reynolds lay side by side with his wife, Greta, a gun in one had and her hand in the other. Arcelia Silva Martinez sat against a crate, head hanging limp against her chest. Hana Murakami was sprawled out in front of the crane controls that she was protecting. Ian Newstead, face and body a bloody mess, finally looked at peace as he lay on the ground. And the salarian, the one the colonists called Ledra, lay twitching next to his merchandise.

The green mist cleared and there were six men and women standing among them.

"Sound off," Shepard called, feeling surprisingly uneasy.

"All clear, Commander," Kaidan said.

"Clear, skipper," Ashley breathed a sigh of relief.

"All clear," Liara said.

"Oh, what the hell is this?" Wrex grumbled as he picked…something off his armor.

"Shepard! Garrus needs immediate attention," Tali called out.

"Garrus! You all right?" Shepard asked as he ran to the side of the turian.

"I think I just got probed," Garrus groaned, holding his side. Tali opened up a packet of medi-gel and poured it onto the wound. Shepard sighed and opened up a channel to the Normandy.

He froze before he did, however. Something wasn't right. He took a quick scan of the colonists that lay strewn across the square. He counted each of them in his head, recognizing each of their faces. And it was then that he realized why he was still so uncomfortable. Fai Dan wasn't among them.

Shepard spun around and pulled out his pistol. Fai Dan stumbled forward, limping forward. Wrex had knocked him pretty hard. Shepard aimed at him, keeping both hands on his pistol. Fai Dan looked up and Shepard blinked. His eyes were clear, if only for the moment.

"Commander," Fai Dan winced as he held his sides.

"Fai Dan," Shepard answered warily.

"I…I tried to…" Fai Dan pleaded.

"I know," Shepard replied sympathetically.

"I tried to stop myself," Fai Dan continued. "But…it…it just…gets in your head. You can't imagine the pain."

"Probably not," Shepard said, trying to think of what he should do now. He wasn't like the child. Fai Dan had faster reflexes and was stronger, due to being older. Lizbeth and her mother only had enough time to make enough gas for two grenades, both of which had been used in the first assault. Shepard took a small step forward.

"I was supposed to protect them," Fai Dan mumbled, wincing in pain. "These people…trusted me. And I failed them. I couldn't protect them from myself."

"Don't blame yourself for this," Shepard told him, taking another step forward.

"Then who will?" Fai Dan muttered, hand trembling as it traced the markings of his weapon. "We were both…given the role of leadership. We both know our mission. To protect those…beneath us. The colonists trusted me…with their lives. And I failed."

"They're still alive," Shepard replied, inching forward. If only he could get close enough…

"Commander!" Ashley called, realizing the threat. Shepard shot a hand and motioned for them all to stay back.

"They're alive because of you," Fai Dan said. "They would have died because of me. You know what's it like, don't you? To feel the weight of failure on your shoulders? Every time the geth killed another one of the colonists, I could feel it. Like another cut on my flesh. Every time they died, I felt helpless. I felt more helpless every time I had to make them go to the front lines, not knowing if they would die."

Shepard took a tentative step forward. Fai Dan's hand tightened on the handle of his pistol.

"Being in command means protecting people, not just ordering them places, doesn't it?" Fai Dan asked. "It means you are responsible for their lives. You're responsible for making sure they get out alive. I failed."

"Not yet you haven't," Shepard said, stepping forward again as Fai Dan groaned.

"The pain," Fai Dan breathed. With a exasperated scream, he grabbed his pistol and aimed it at Shepard, who froze, focusing down the sight of his gun. He was a step away from Fai Dan. One quick leap forward and Fai Dan would be subdued. Now, he just needed to wait for an opening…

"Something's…" Fai Dan inhaled sharply. "Something's telling me to…kill you…"

"Fai Dan," Shepard said.

"It's telling me to kill you…" Fai Dan continued. His hand twitched and shook with the strain. "It's telling me. But…my duty is to protect this colony! It's telling me to kill you but. I. Won't!"

"Fai Dan, wait!" Shepard ordered, taking a step forward.

"_**I won't!**_" Fai Dan roared and pulled his hand under his chin.

"_**Wait!**_" Shepard shouted, rushing forward.

The bullet tore through the bottom of Fai Dan's chin, shooting up and forward, piercing his brain and exiting out his forehead. Brains and blood shot out of the wound and splashed onto Shepard's face, stopping him in his tracks. Fai Dan fell to the ground, knees hitting first and then his body following after.

Shepard stared at the fallen body, face covered in blood and brains. He heard his squad rushing towards him, but he didn't care. Fai Dan had just shot himself in the head.

"Shepard, are you all-?" Ashley was beginning to ask but froze as she rounded him. As she did, she realized something terrifying.

Standing before her was a Shepard that she's never seen before. He stood hands loose by his sides and his shoulders slack. From behind, he looked tired and relaxed. But it was his eyes that sent chills down her throat and into her stomach. His eyes were ablaze with pure and simple rage. What she realized is that she had never before seen him with such anger bubbling inside. Before, he had always seemed to be a harsh, yet humorous person. Sure, he would sometimes yell and curse, but it all seemed to be in jest. Now, before her stood a frightening figure of pure fury.

"Shepard?" Ashley asked quietly.

Shepard shot her a look and Ashley took an unwilling step backwards. His piercing blue eyes were blazing with ire. He blinked and rubbed his temples.

"God, I'm tired," Shepard whispered quietly.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Navigator Pressly stood still, staring at the comm. station positioned near the cockpit. While Shepard was ashore, Pressly was in charge of the Normandy. Having heard the commotion from a rather traumatized Dr. Chakwas, he put the Normandy on lockdown, keeping an eye on the colonists through cameras positioned around the ship. However, after they locked the ship down, the colonists suddenly vanished from sight, returning to the colony. The crew was uneasy, but Pressly kept them on standby. Now, he simply waited, along with the rest of the ship, with bated breath.

"Pressly, do you think Shepard and his team's alright?" Joker asked. "They've been gone awhile."

"I've seen Shepard get out of much worse than this," Pressly reassured him.

"Yeah, I've gotten the whole 'Shepard is a badass' spiel from nearly every crewmember on this ship," Joker shook his head. "But this…"

"He'll call us when he needs us, helmsman," Pressly assured him rather firmly. "Understood?"

"Aye aye, sir," Joker sighed.

So Pressly waited patiently until the call finally came.

"Ground team to Normandy," the crackled and static-filled voice of Commander Shepard broke the silence. "Ground team to Normandy, come in, Normandy."

"This is the Normandy," Pressly answered calmly. "We read you, ground team. Is that you, Commander?"

"No, this is…" Shepard stopped midsentence. "God, I'm so tired, I can't even think of a good name for my joke. Yes, it's me."

"It's good to hear from you, sir," Pressly replied with a smile.

"Yes, it _is_ good to hear me," Shepard replied.

"What do you need, sir?" Pressly asked.

"I need a guard detail for the entire colony," Shepard said. "Part to fight off any possible geth still in the area. Mostly to keep the colonists from biting their heads off."

"I've been meaning to ask about that," Pressly noted.

"I'll tell you later during debriefing," Shepard promised. "Just get them out here along with the medical team. If Chakwas can be here, great. If not…"

"I won't force her to go, sir," Pressly said. She had been through a rather traumatic ordeal.

"Right," Shepard muttered. "The colonists should be sedated for now, but if they do wake up, keep them under watch and away from firearms. Do whatever you have to do, but lethal force is not an option. Do I make myself clear?"

"Lethal force is not an option. I understand," Pressly nodded.

"Tell the medical team to bring some stretchers for the wounded," Shepard continued. "And a body bag."

"Aye aye," Pressly answered professionally.

"I have another…issue to deal with now," Shepard said. "Use your best judgment until I get back."

"Is this about the colonists?" Pressly asked.

"Yeah," Shepard answered. "They aren't themselves. I have a solution that will make them better again."

"Understood, sir," Pressly nodded.

"Shepard out,"Shepard said and cut off the comm. Pressly switched off the comm. and took a deep breath.

"What do you think his 'solution' to crazy zombie village?" Joker asked.

"Shepard is a man of routine," Pressly stated. "If it works, he does again and again. Over and over. And how exactly does he usually solve a problem, flight lieutenant?"

"I gotcha," Joker nodded. "Basically, by the end of the day, something's going to end up dead or blown up."

"Exactly," Pressly said, turning and walking down to the CIC to issue the orders.

"Should I tell the medical team to bring a mop? For when Shepard's done?" Joker asked. Pressly didn't answer and Joker didn't expect one. He had a job to do.

\::/::\::/::\::/

In the damp sewers, the young varren with purple eyes barked as it jumped to and fro in front of a large pile of rocks and debris. From underneath the pile, his mother lay buried, still and unmoving. The young varren's barks were high-pitched and full of worry as it nudged his still mother's form with his snout. It tried to move some of the rocks off of her, but he just wasn't strong enough.

The prey had been pushed over the side by the alpha and his mother had been unluckily underneath them when they fell, bringing the concrete with them. Now, the young varren tried his best to wake her up. But she would not wake.

There was a loud clank behind him and the varren with purple eyes spun around and put on his best growl. Scar cocked its head to the side, viewing the varren through the light on his head. After the battle with Shepard, Scar had been forced to scrounge for parts and pieces to fix the damage done to his body. As he was looking for more parts from the other geth that were destroyed, it had picked up a loud disturbance and went to investigate. It sounded like a krogan and a varren, but when he arrived at the sight, it found only a dead varren and a baby.

The young varren growled angrily, but the supposedly threatening sound lost it's effect simply because he was so young and so small. And Scar didn't have the capacity to feel fear or any emotion of any kind. So Scar bent its head back and examined the scene in detail, trying to assess the situation.

There were significant signs that there was a male krogan here, with other signs that he had carried off a dead alpha varren. He had carried the varren towards the south, back towards the Zhu's Hope. Searching through it's memory core, Scar remembered that there was a krogan by the name of Wrex of Clan Urdnot, who coincidently was the son of Jarrod. Jarrod, in turn, led a group of krogan under Saren, though the majority was on Virmire.

Abruptly, an image of the creator flashed in its mind. He had taken serious damage during the fight with Shepard-Commander and had only fixed the more immediate dangers to its well-being. He still had to fix the small details before he could be fully functional. So parts would short-circuit and send false signals to the memory core. The image of the creator constantly flashed its mind.

With some semblance of hesitation, Scar brought the image of the other quarian it met on its journey and compared her image to the image of the one working with Shepard-Commander. They were strikingly similar, it noted. Down to the same colored environmental suit and similar way of crouching. They were both right-handed; both placed their weight on their right foot less than their right foot. They even had similar bust sizes.

It was…almost uncanny how similar.

A loud bark drew Scar's attention elsewhere. It looked down at the young varren and noted its almost abnormal purple eyes. Judging from its stance, it was simulating anger and aggression, most possibly because it felt threatened by the geth's presence. Why it felt threatened, however, wasn't as readily apparent to the geth. A likely reason might have been aesthetic; the geth was quite imposing. However, Scar had not given an action of violent intent in at least five minutes, the average time it took for a varren to judge an enemy's intention. It was not protecting a home because this was a sidewalk railing, completely unfit for any varren colony.

There _was_ the matter of the adult female varren buried under approximately four feet of debris. A possible explanation was that the female was the younger varren's mother. However, it was clearly deceased, so why did the younger varren continue to guard her? Did it not understand that she was dead?

Scar reached forward tentatively with both arms and began to clear away the debris. Maybe he could not see that she was dead. Ignoring the young varren's barks and growls of protest, it lifted and brushed away rocks and dirt. The varren did not take up any action, however, as he knew his size compared to the geth. It stopped when he realized that the geth was helping him. He was at first curious at this strange turn of events, but then he stopped caring. Maybe then his mother would wake up.

Scar finished clearing away the dirt and then stepped back, letting the young varren examine its work. He hurriedly leapt forward and licked his mother's body, nudging it and cuddling up with her. Scar began recording the interaction and watched what happened next. The young varren began barking, trying to get his mother's attention. It didn't help, however, as she continued to lie still. Slowly and terribly, the young varren with purple eyes began to realize a horrible truth. She would never wake up again.

Confused, the young varren looked up at the geth, hoping for an answer. Scar's one green light stared back, not giving an answer. It didn't realize that he was looking for an answer until a minute later. Then it turned away and continued to follow the krogan, leaving the young varren behind. The young varren watched the geth walk away and returned to his mother, sitting and looking downwards at her body.

Scar continued to walk down the corridor, following the trail the krogan left behind. However, he was at least twenty minutes ahead, and had probably already reached the colony, in which case attacking would be suicidal. So what should it do now? It contemplated its answer.

There was a scratch from behind and the geth spun around, prepared for battle. Instead, it saw the purple eyes of the younger varren. He had followed it from his mother. Scar, for a brief moment, didn't know what to do. Why had he followed it? Was it still confused about his mother? No, his postures suggested that he understood perfectly what happened to his mother. His mother was dead. So why was he following it?

In an attempt to shoo it away, it mimicked a universal sign of dismissal by raising both hands and lifting them up and down. The varren didn't move and instead cocked his head sideways, curious at this gesture. Scar didn't move for a moment. Deciding that the situation was too dire to waste time, it turned around and moved on. The young varren got up and began walking by its side, following it. Scar pretended not to notice.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Kaidan stood up from his job and wiped his brow. Arcelia lay flat against the concrete ground, a slow, easy breathing leaving her mouth. Her vitals checked out fine for the moment. Kaidan was satisfied that she would remain that way, until they woke up. He looked over at Shepard, who was studying the crane controls that Hana Murakami was protecting for the Thorian. Despite all the information he had received from Lizbeth, he still didn't know exactly what a 'thorian' was but he knew when something was dangerous. He had that kind of sixth sense that always kept him wary. But it helped him be ready.

He paused as he stared over at Shepard. Kaidan sighed as he thought about what Shepard could possibly be thinking of. Kaidan was always very perceptive of other people and he used that perception effectively. He knew that Shepard was full of pride; some would call him arrogant. And his pride wasn't misplaced: he had skill and technique that sent him above other soldiers, so he had reason to back up that pride. That made it all the more painful when he failed. And though it was never his fault, Kaidan knew that what happened to Fai Dan weighed heavily on his mind, hurting his pride further. And that made him hot-tempered and angry.

Kaidan cracked his knuckles and sighed even harder. Shepard was complex, there was no doubt about it. His sixth sense told him that he was only scratching the surface of who Shepard was as a person. And after what happened today, Kaidan shuddered to think what Shepard could be capable of when he was as volatile as he was. Shepard hadn't even wiped off Fai Dan's blood from his face. It was beginning to dry, leaving permanent bloody marks and splotches on his face. It was his war paint. He was taking this personally and that worried Kaidan. Every experienced alliance soldier knew what happened the last time Commander Shepard took something personally…

"Skipper?" Ashley's voice cut his train of thought. Kaidan watched as Ashley walked over to the Commander as he continued to work on the console. Kaidan took a few steps forward, telling one of the marines from the Normandy to take over for him.

"Chief," Shepard said absently.

"Are you feeling okay?" Ashley asked rather timidly.

"I've been better," Shepard said curtly.

"Do you want to…talk, or…" Ashley said, unsure of what to say next.

"Not right now, Williams," Shepard told her. "I need to focus. We'll talk later." Ashley nodded and began to walk away. She stopped and then looked over her shoulder.

"What happened wasn't your fault," she assured him. Shepard paused for a second, but only for a second before pressing another button and causing the crane to rev into action. There was a loud crack and a section of the long, snaking body of the colony began to rise up, being hefted by a long, thick cable. Clouds of dust fell of it as it rose into the air, revealing a rectangular hole with stairs that led downward.

"Squad, on me," Shepard ordered. They all surrounded him as Shepard took a knee, face still red from the drying blood. Garrus also wearily sat on the ground. "I'm guessing the Thorian's down that way. He's the reason why the colonists are acting as they are. It's also the reason why Saren came to this planet. Now, according to Lizbeth, we kill the Thorian, we kill the spores it gives off, which should bring the colonists back to being themselves."

"You trust her word, Shepard?" Wrex asked. "She's working for Exo-Geni, who wanted to exterminate this place, after all."

"I trust her," Shepard answered. "Besides, we don't have a choice. The Thorian is still a threat. And we need to act fast. I don't know how long the gas will keep them sedated. Which brings me to my next topic. It's been long day and we've all been through a lot. We go down those stairs; we'll be in enemy territory. Who knows what we'll find down there. So I need a no-bullshit assessment from every one of you: can you still fight?"

Ashley, Kaidan, Garrus, Wrex, Tali and Liara all looked at each other and were silent for a moment as they thought over it. Wrex was the first to speak.

"Shepard, I'm a krogan," Wrex said. "I'm good for another week at least."

"I've been meaning to ask, Wrex, what happened to you?" Shepard asked as he sniffed Wrex's foul stench. "I mean, I know krogans smell bad and all, but I didn't think they smelled _this_ bad."

"Shut up," Wrex grumbled.

"I'm good, Commander," Ashley said proudly.

"As am I," Kaidan said with a smile.

"Same here," Tali's voice sounded a little tired, but she hid it well enough that Shepard ignored it.

"I'm all yours, Shepard," Liara said. This earned a couple of confused looks from the commander and from the other squad mates, as well as a slightly annoyed look from Ashley.

"Commander, I can't," Garrus admitted. "I've been shot through the stomach and then had a sniper rifle shoved through that hole. I'm almost passing out every time I stand. I'd do more damage than help."

"Fair enough," Shepard said. "Then I want you in the Med Bay. Just take it easy alright?"

"I will," Garrus nodded and winced.

"Everyone else, we leave in five minutes. Be ready by then," Shepard stood up and dusted off his hands. Tali helped Garrus onto his feet and held his right arm over her shoulders, supporting him. Garrus limped forward with Tali's help, wincing with each step and using his rifle as a crutch. As they walked forward, Wrex watched as they walked on.

"Need help going to the bathroom, turian?" Wrex asked with a smile.

"Oh, so I guess this is where you make the obligatory snide remarks?" Garrus asked, chuckling a little.

"Pretty much, yeah," Wrex replied.

"Well, keep 'em coming," Garrus said. "Your scorn's keeping me awake for the moment."

"Out of every one of us here, including the asari, who's never even been in actual combat, you're the only one of us that's actually bleeding," Wrex noted as he walked beside him.

"It's true," Garrus nodded weakly. "But I'm not the one who smells like shit."

"Oh, good comeback!" Wrex chuckled. "The little turian is actually learning something."

"I'm surprised you're not poking fun of my decision to stay behind," Garrus said. A medic came up with a stretcher and opened it up for Garrus. Tali carefully placed him onto the stretcher as Garrus winced again. "It'd be another chance to prove how weak us turians are."

"I probably would if what you did wasn't smart," Wrex said. "Turian, you've been beaten half to hell. You'd just slow us down."

"Well, I'll make sure to get plenty of sleep while you guys are down there. In the dark. And the sewers," Garrus replied, a satisfied smile on his face. The medics carried Garrus away as Tali and Wrex watched him go. The krogan hid a smile and shook his head.

In five minutes time, the gathered around the stairs that led down into the dark. Shepard stood with broad shoulders, hands clenched with a very hidden anger and rage. Ashley carried her assault rifle and repeatedly checked it. Kaidan took deep breaths, trying to calm his beating heart. Liara found herself behind Shepard, looking down into the darkness and gulped. Tali checked her Omni-Tool and took a deep breath. Wrex snorted and cracked his neck.

"So, who wants to go down the creepy tunnel of doom first?" Kaidan asked, breaking the silence. Without a word, Shepard took the first step into the darkness; face painted blood red, nearly black from drying. Behind him, his teammates filed in, following his lead.

* * *

Hey, I'm still alive. Was writing a monster of a chapter for my Fable story (28-some pages). Then college came up and I was just dead. But here it is. I'm thinking that after the long chapter for Fable, I've decided to finish Shepard's journey on Feros before moving back to Fable. It's just bugging me how far in the story we still have to go. Quite daunting, to be honest, but hey, I've got nothing else to do.

It was also a chance to introduce more of Scar the geth's story, because he does have a story. I wouldn't introduce some kind of connection between it and Tali without a good reason. Plus, I have a good backstory for him that would make Frank Herbert proud. I hope. Though I did notice that Scar acts like Dog from Half-Life 2 a little bit.

Next few story segments, I think, are about revenge and anger. I thought I should introduce that into the story, hence, we start to see a little bit of Shepard's rage. We'll see more of it later.

Also, I changed the dividers between sections after the one I had before kept disappearing when uploaded to . It was bothersome and I'm pretty sure you guys noticed it. Hopefully, this'll stick.


	53. Chapter 43: The Thorian

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«5.09: Attican Beta: Theseus System: Feros: Thorian Lair»

«or The Thorian»

Dark wasn't the word that described the stairwell that led downwards. Dank was more like it. The halls were dank and moldy, as if some decayed and dying plant had grown there over the millennia. Shepard sniffed harshly and suppressed a cough, as the foul stench pierced the back of his throat. He wasn't in the mood for simple coughs. The dried blood on his face reminded him of that. As he held his assault rifle at eye level, Wrex and Ashley took point, keeping an eye in the front. Kaidan and Tali took the rear while Liara was kept close to Shepard's side.

"These look like…hallways," Liara said. "Like this used to be part of a building."

"Probably," Shepard said.

"I mean, this probably used to be some sort of Prothean home or maybe an apartment complex," Liara said, eyes wide with amazement.

"Could be," Shepard said.

"Or maybe this is a Prothean basement," Liara continued, unaware that no one was listening. "I mean, it would make sense, considering that the stairs from Zhu's Hope were heading downwards."

"That they do," Shepard said.

"But why would they put a basement so close to the space port?" Liara asked.

"I haven't the faintest idea," Shepard said.

"Well, that is assuming that the space port is indeed a Prothean space port," Liara continued. "For all we know, it's a giant warehouse that ExoGeni turned _into_ a space port."

"Maybe," Shepard said.

"And maybe—" Liara said.

"Maybe you should shut up," Wrex interrupted. Ashley smiled chuckled inwardly.

"Oh." Liara stopped midsentence and remembered where she currently was: in the middle of eradicating a giant sentient plant that tried to take over the minds over the minds of the colonists.

"Does anyone else smell that?" Kaidan asked, holding a hand up to his nose.

"Smells like a fungus of some kind," Ashley replied.

"I thought that was Wrex," Shepard said.

"Shut up," Wrex grumbled. He didn't want to be reminded of his little…misadventure.

"Well," Shepard said, ignoring Wrex's grumbles. "Lizbeth said this was a plant-like organism. Maybe it has more to do with a fungus."

"Commander, a plant and a fungus aren't the same thing," Kaidan said. "Technically, they are part of two different kingdoms." Shepard was quiet for a moment.

"Nobody likes a smartass, Lieutenant," Shepard said quietly. Kaidan smiled behind Shepard's back. Kaidan was trying to calm Shepard down a little by his banter, and he was glad it seemed to work. Still, he doubted it would be enough to calm Shepard's anger. Kaidan had to admit that seeing the state of the colonists infuriated him. But he couldn't let that emotion take control.

Soon, the dark hallway opened up into a larger, circular area. Cautiously, they walked in, taking stock of the area, making sure there were no threats. Shepard examined the area, seeing that they were inside a large circular building. Ringing the inside of the giant cylinder were rows of stairs and walkways, all concrete, as if they were built inside of the building. Lining the walkways were large concrete supports, holding the top floor above it.

From around the corner came a loud breathing noise.

"All right." Tali breathed. "All we need to do is find this Thorian and—"

They rounded the corner.

"…and…" Tali's voice trailed off as he lifted her head, eyes taking in everything she saw. "…Keelah…"

Ashley's jaw dropped as she saw what was before her and she lowered her gun in amazement. Kaidan's eyes widened and his calm disappeared, replaced by a growing fear. Liara stood stock still in awe of the creature before her. Wrex cocked an eyebrow.

"What," Wrex's voice was low and measured. "The hell is that?"

Shepard's face was emotionless.

The Thorian was a large, bulbous creature, long and fat. It's front had something that vaguely resembled a face, but without eyes or a mouth. Where its eyes were supposed to be, were only pores for it to breathe. Where its mouth was supposed to be was only a large opening with dozens of large, thick tentacles protruding down onto the ground, glistening with the slime oozing down from the opening. It hung suspended in the air with even larger tentacles protruding from its body, clinging to the walls around it. It breathed in deeply and let out a gurgling roar-like cough, spewing green spores out into the world.

"I kept asking the Alliance to issue me a missile launcher," Shepard grumbled. "But _no_. They thought I would be 'irresponsible' with it. Well, here I am now, in front of a giant, gross plant thingy with mind control capabilities and I don't have a missile launcher."

"How the hell are we supposed to destroy that thing?" Ashley asked, gulping. "I don't thick our guns will be enough to bring it down."

"You sure about that?" Wrex raised his assault rifle and opened fire. The bullets pelted into side of the Thorian, causing its side to ripple and shake with each impact. The Thorian reacted by letting out another ooze-filled cough. When Wrex's assault rifle overheated, he lowered it and looked at his handiwork. There were only hundreds of puncture marks, but nothing else. It just continued to cough its roar-like cough.

"Wrex," Shepard said. "Please stop trying to antagonize the giant tumor."

The Thorian growled as more liquid poured out of the creature's 'mouth.' It raised its tentacles and sputtered out green fluid that splattered onto the ground, nearly touching Shepard's boot. With disgust, he stepped back and looked at the Thorian. Its tentacles had now contracted and…something slid out of its mouth and landed on the ground. The thing landed on its feet and stood up.

It was an asari with green skin, covered from head to toe with slime and ooze, standing naked and defiant, anger bristling within her lifeless eyes. Shepard kept his composure but was also in disbelief at what had happened before him. The Thorian had vomited forth a green, naked asari. A little shaken, he blurted out the first thing that came to him:

"Mozol tov, it's a girl."

"Invaders." the green asari spoke with silent vehemence, along with the typical soothing tone of the asari. "Your every _step_ is a transgression. A thousand feelers appraise you as meat, good only to dig or decompose. I speak for the Old Growth as I did for the invader that came before. You are within and before the Thorian. It commands that you be in awe."

"Lady, being in awe of that thing just isn't going to happen," Shepard said simply.

"Your words are hollow," the asari replied, keeping the same level tone as before. "Fearless of that which you do not understand. You ignorance offends the Thorian."

"You said something about 'the invader that came before," Kaidan spoke up. "You're talking about Saren, aren't you?"

"I'm guessing Saren came here looking for something from you," Shepard continued, crossing his arms. "Or the tumor behind you. If it gave him something, I'm gonna have to ask for it to."

"The invader you call 'Saren' sought knowledge of those who are gone," the asari said. "The Old Growth listened to flesh for the first time in the Long Cycle. Trades were made. Then cold ones began killing flesh that would tend the next cycle. Flesh fairly given. The Old Growth sees the air you push as lies and will listen no more."

"Yeah I don't give two shits about that," Shepard said, his voice threatening. "You have a bunch of innocent people up top, slaves to your insane whims. Release them and give me what you gave Saren and I won't exterminate you." His teammates raised their weapons up in response to his threat.

"No more will the Thorian listen to those that scurry," the asari said, eyes glistening ominously. "Your lives are short but have gone on too long. You interrupt the tending of the Long Cycle."

"Your _tenders_ are not tools," Shepard said evenly. "They're people."

"Their flesh serves only to tend the next cycle," the asari said evenly. "They have no other purpose then to continue the life of the Thorian. If they will refuse his call, they will die."

Shepard stared at the asari for only a moment before darting forward. His knife was out in a flash and it sliced through her throat faster than anyone could see. The asari stood for a second with the same even look before her eyes rolled up and green blood poured out of the cut on her neck. She stumbled back and fell over the edge of the platform, falling downwards.

Shepard spat over the edge, wiped the ooze off of his blade on his shoulder, and sheathed it.

"That cancerous prick has to die," Shepard said.

The Thorian breathed in deeply and let out a thunderous shriek that forced half of the squad onto their knees. Shepard looked at the plant angrily and saw what it was doing. Large, grey liquid was forming large bulbs at various points on its body. They glistened and churned, as they grew larger. The Thorian drew in a deep breath, growing slightly larger with air. Then it let out a louder cry as the grey bulbs shot off of its body and in all directions. Some slammed into the floors above and others slammed into the nearby pillars. One shot straight into Kaidan's chest, knocking him onto his back with a loud 'oof.'

Kaidan blinked away the black flecks and looked at the grey mass that was on his chest. He sucked in air as it began to squirm and churn. Kaidan batted the thing away, but it wouldn't budge, having been stuck to his chest. Wrex quickly saw his peril and rushed to his side. The krogan gripped the sides of the glob and, with a loud growl, tore it off of his chest and threw it across the room.

The blob hit the wall and slid to the ground, where it continued to squirm. Shapes and features began to appear as it continued to morph. Wrex helped Kaidan onto his feet as Shepard took a small step towards the blob. Soon, it began to look…almost like a human crouching on the ground with its arms wrapped around its legs.

Its arms unwrapped itself and it stood up eerily slow. As it raised its head, it raised his head, revealing sunken eye sockets and a gaping maw for a mouth. It shrieked as it ran forward.

Tali stepped forward and fired her shotgun straight into its stomach launching it several feet backwards in a green explosion.

"Great," Shepard muttered.

"Shepard! More coming down the stairs!" Ashley said. With a nod from Shepard, Ashley opened fire at the horde clambering down the stairs. Soon, the squad was firing at the creeps as they hounded for their blood. Shepard had his assault rifle out and was firing, each shot a head shot, blasting them into green goo. Liara threw up a barrier around her with one hand and fired another field at the creepers with the other. Tali and Wrex were working them all with their shotguns.

One creeper got too close and tackled Tali, slamming her onto her back. Tali gripped the thing's hands and kept them off of her. The creeper shrieked again and out from its mouth, a torrent of green ooze flowed onto her helmet. She cried as it flowed all over her helmet. Liara fired a biotic field at the thing and it exploded. She rushed to Tali's side and helped her up.

"Keelah!" Tali cried. "It just threw up on me!"

"It could have done worse," Liara said. She looked up and fired another biotic field at a creeper.

Soon, the creepers were finished and everyone bent over with fatigue.

"Christ, there was no end to them!" Kaidan breathed sharply.

"What were they?" Ashley asked.

"If I had to guess, I would say they were a defense mechanism from the Thorian," Liara said. "Like how some plants will emit smells to keep predators away form it."

"Smells, I can handle," Kaidan said. "It's the whole chasing me down and throwing up on me that I can't handle."

"It didn't throw up on you, it threw up on me!" Tali shrieked, tentatively brushing off the green goo from her shoulders. She hoped her suit hadn't ruptured and quietly began checking.

"Everyone put on your helmets," Shepard ordered. "I don't want you guys coming into contact with whatever it is they projectile vomit on us. Who knows where these things have been."

Slowly, they put on their helmets. Shepard sighed as he noted their fatigue. They all had a long, hard day. He had to push them, however. They had a job to do. Shepard stepped to the edge of the side and examined the Thorian, as it sat in the air, breathing deeply. Suspended in the air by six thick pipe-like arms that stuck to the walls. Shepard squinted and looked down at the large chasm that lay beneath the Thorian. He tapped a nearby rock over the edge and watched it descend into the darkness. He didn't hear it hit the ground.

It'll do.

"Stay close," Shepard ordered and he walked towards a nearby hallway. The squad got up slowly and rushed to keep up with him. Wrex, being a krogan, had slightly more energy than they did and caught up to Shepard first. Wrex followed his gaze and noted the large hand-like claw that stuck into the wall. He saw it connect to the Thorian and knew immediately what Shepard was planning.

"Think it'll work?" Wrex asked.

"One way to find out," Shepard said. Wrex nodded and raised his assault rifle and fired. The claw began to react violently with a sudden violent shaking. Soon, it popped and green liquid poured out. The arm soon emptied and dried up, shrinking in size and strength.

The Thorian shrieked in response.

"I think we pissed it off, Skipper," Ashley noted, a grim satisfaction in her voice.

"Oh, I'm just getting started," Shepard said with a grin, dried blood caking off his face.

"Uh, Commander?" Liara said tentatively as she looked at the Thorian. "It's, uh, it's…"

"It's shitting zombies again," Kaidan finished for her.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Blood-red eyes followed their progress as Tuvok hid in a shadowy nook near the top of the building. Tuvok's white, skull-like facial markings shown in the darkness as he rubbed his leathery chin. It was surprising to see Shepard, Liara and Kaidan walk away from their endeavor, though it shouldn't have been unexpected. Shepard had a resilient mind. It had been broken and reformed again and again throughout his life. Six times, by his count. Three when he was a child and three again when he was a member of the Alliance military.

Liara, however, could not have gotten out of that mental hold without his help. She was a relatively weaker mind than Shepard's, having been sheltered by her mother, the Matriarch Benezia. Tuvok knew that Liara was frightened of the world outside her research. He knew she was scared all the time of other people. As she was grow ing up, she was forced to aspire to complete stranger's aspirations and this had a profound impact on her personality as well as her mental strength. He wondered how long it would take him before he completely broke her beyond repair. He doubted it would be very long but he was still intrigued to find out.

And Kaidan…Kaidan Alenko. He was sure he knew his face from somewhere before. Maybe in his brother's work at BAaT…

None of this mattered, however, as he watched them work their way to another one of the Thorian's neural nodes, for that was what they were shooting at. They would succeed; Tuvok had no doubt about that. But it didn't matter for Saren had gotten what he wanted. Now, it would seem that Shepard would get what Saren had as well. But that wasn't what he was here for. He was here to test Shepard more.

Specifically, he had to study the green biotics that was within Shepard. It didn't feel like it belonged to Shepard at all. Its aura was different, its nature was different; everything about it was different than what a biotic would expect to come from a man like Shepard. This led to only one conclusion that he could come up with: that the biotics had belonged to someone else entirely.

The implications of this were…interesting. He still had to work out the details but it would be a very interesting find for Saren. And as Shepard worked his way to the top, Tuvok, pondered on how best to approach him.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Liara was dead tired, as humans often said. She was tripping on her own feet, the sweat was practically pouring off her face and her head was starting to hurt from overuse of her biotics. Still, she pushed herself forward. They had to in order to survive. So, she kept her eyes open for the creepers while Kaidan fired at the fifth arm they came across.

"This one's done!" Kaidan exclaimed as he panted.

"It's still won't budge!" Ashley said in exasperation. "It's weakening though."

"We've got one more," Shepard said. "We can do this."

And Liara believed him. He had that…manner about him, she guessed was the right word to describe. Everything from the way he walked to the way he stood, his entire demeanor all said one thing: I will lead you from this nightmare. Looking at him now, Liara wasn't surprised by the Council's decision to make him a Spectre. Nor was she surprised by all his accomplishments over his career. Despite how bloody it was. So Liara pushed herself forward with renewed vigor, knocking away a creeper in the process.

Shepard climbed upward, sweat beading down his forehead, dried blood caking away from his face. He pushed forward and his enemy fell. He was focused now. He was committed. He punched his fist into the mouth of one of the creepers, blowing through to the other side. He spun and fired his pistol at another. This movement barely slowed him down as he continued forward.

Ashley, on the other hand, was slowing down. Despite being a military woman to the bone, there was only so much punishment she could take. Her arm was numb from the recoil of her rifle and her helmet was soaked in sweat. She legs were on fire as Wrex rushed beside her. He didn't even look like he was breaking a sweat, but he was a krogan. She wasn't even sure they could sweat. Tali was up ahead, blasting apart creepers left and right without a second's thought. Ashley panted heavily. Tali was a quarian with a weak immune system and she was still doing better than her!

And Liara…

Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself forward. She refused to be second to that blueberry. But the more she pushed herself, the more Shepard seemed so far away. A moment of despair flooded her as she slowly realized a fact: if she didn't catch up, Shepard would leave her behind. Roaring, Ashley ran forward, ignoring all the pain and suffering that flooded her being. She wouldn't lose. Not here and not now.

Together, they pushed forward as wave after wave of creepers crashed against them. Wrex was like a freight train; bashing away all that stood in his way and feeling the blood-rage creep over his consciousness. But he was a krogan with centuries of combat experience under his belt. He could control his baser instincts if he needed to. And before him, he could see the end, the final stage of this tower they were climbing. He couldn't afford to lose control when they were so close to the end.

Kaidan's nose was bleeding a little but he ignored it. This was nothing compared to what it could be. They were nearing the end, though. They had finally reached the last staircase and could see the last arm at the top, past the creepers. With an exhausted cry, he knocked a group of them over the edge of the platform, where they fell past the Thorian and into the darkness below. He had to hold on just a little longer.

Tali had the rear and she was beginning to feel a little nauseated. There had been a suit rupture on her arm that she managed to seal off and disinfect, but it was only a field repair. She still wasn't entirely sure how it happened but she did her best with it. It was enough to keep her going until the end and until they returned to the ship. Still, she fought through the nausea and through the runny nose and pushed forward. Keep going forward. Keep going forward. Keep going for—

She felt a claw snake its way into the cut on her suit and touch her skin. It felt cold.

"Sleep," a dull, emotionless voice commanded. There was a sharp spike of what felt like electricity pass through her skin and into her body. And she fell the ground, unconscious.

Shepard collided into the open room where the last arm was still clinging to the wall, shaking with the force that kept the balloon-thing from falling to its death. Just another horde of those vomiting-creeper-thingys and this threat would be annihilated. Shepard snarled as he fired at three of the things with deadly accuracy, exploding their heads in a plume of green goo. The rest began to charge him and he fell to his knee while his teammates fired at the others. Bullets flew through the air, peppering the others, causing them to spasm and combust in a flurry of green.

Shepard stopped and examined the carnage. There was nothing left standing and the only thing that lay on the ground wasn't human. With a sigh, he pushed himself back onto his feet. He took an even bigger breath of air. It was soon over.

"Sound off," Shepard called.

"All clear," Liara said, fatigue thick in her otherwise clear voice.

"Clear," Ashley said weakly, leaning on her rifle for support.

"Was that all?" Wrex said, scoffing slightly.

"All clear, commander," Kaidan said, wiping his nose and throwing the blood on the ground.

Silence.

"Tali?" Shepard asked, looking at the group. The quarian was nowhere to be found. Kaidan looked behind him and saw a figure lying on the ground.

"She fell!" Kaidan yelled as he jumped down the stairs and slid to her side. Shepard froze for a moment when he saw her body. He hadn't even noticed she had fallen. He watched as Liara quickly dashed down the stairs, grabbing a packet of Medi-Gel from her belt just in case.

"She's breathing," Kaidan announced. "It's faint though. She might have a fever."

"Typical quarian," Wrex grumbled. "Getting a fever and passing out in the middle of a battle. Whatever isn't constantly tested gets weaker."

"No one asked for your opinion, Wrex," Ashley muttered.

Wrex sniffed disdainfully and walked towards the final arm that held the blasted Thorian up. Ashley began to walk down the stairs to help in whatever way possible. Shepard scratched the back of his helmet and sighed. He hadn't even noticed that she had fallen. Wrex raised his shotgun and slowly began to pull the trigger.

From the corner of his eye, he saw a slight blur in the air, like heat rising in the distance. His red eyes widened and he turned to face this blur. The blur melted away into the face of a white skull-marked turian, red biotics surging in his hand. Wrex tried to pull the trigger.

"Too slow," Tuvok whispered emotionlessly.

Shepard heard a loud crack behind him and he spun around, gun raised. An impact of air slammed into his face as the force of the biotic punch flashed through the air. The krogan was dazed by the punch and stumbled close to the edge of the platform. Shepard's eyes met with the bloodshot eyes of a familiar turian. As he began to move towards Wrex, he opened fire with his assault rifle. In a flash, Tuvok faded from sight.

Ashley spun around and saw Shepard rush towards Wrex, who was still stumbling backwards and raised her gun, rushing back up the stairs. With a loud cry, Shepard slammed his body into the Wrex's with enough force to knock him to the ground quickly before he fell over the edge. Wrex shook his head and growled.

Ashley saw movement to her left and quickly spun, firing at the space. There was nothing there. She heard something behind her and she spun, only to find nothing there. Her heart was pounding in her chest, unnerved by this enemy. Shepard stood up slowly and raised his gun, followed by Wrex, still shaking off the blow and spitting orange blood. He was thoroughly pissed off now.

"It's that damn red sand-addicted turian," Wrex grumbled, gripping his shotgun.

Shepard only nodded slowly, keeping very still and focused. His helmet was stifling but he ignored it so he could focus on this silent enemy. Wrex walked forward, gun raised, trying to bait the opponent. Ashley's breathing was very heavy.

"Williams," Shepard said. "Calm down."

"Why doesn't he show himself?" Ashley asked, looking left and right warily.

"It's five against one," Shepard explained in a calm voice. "We'd massacre him if he came out in person. But we're tired. We've been fighting since we came to this fucking planet. Easier to just pick us off one by one."

"Commander, what's going on up there?" he hard Kaidan call from Tali's side.

"You stay right where you are, Lieutenant," Shepard called back. "And keep your eyes and ears open. Our red-eyed turian friend is back. And he's decided to play Marco Polo with us."

Kaidan stood up slowly and raised his pistol. He didn't notice that Liara had become rigid; her eyes wide with fear, sweat dripping down her cheek. She remembered all too clearly the eyes that snaked into her very soul, exposing every point of shame within her. She remembered the nakedness that had forced her to almost kill herself. Tears ever so slowly began to form in her eyes as she swallowed silently.

Ashley inched sideways, keeping her eyes trained on any slight movement. Below, the Thorian began to shudder and cough but she ignored it, focusing on the threat in front of them. She slowly calmed herself down, taking deep breaths and clearing her mind. It wouldn't help anyone if she panicked.

She heard a rustle from behind.

Reacting, Ashley took a step back and swung her rifle around. The butt of the rifle collided with an invisible object, dispelling the cloak and revealing the bloodshot-eyed turian.

"Your skills have improved, Gunnery Chief Williams," Tuvok said. He didn't make any sign that he noticed the blow that made a cut across his cheek. Ashley followed up the first blow by firing at him, point-blank. With a quick shake of his hand, Tuvok brought up a red barrier around his body, giving it a distinct red aura the seemed to drip with venom. He jumped to the side and swung a fist straight to her rib faster than she could react. The air was forced out of her lungs as Tuvok snapped a rib.

"Still not good enough, though," Tuvok whispered as she doubled over. "Maybe if you spent more time focusing on you instead of on…other people." Ashley coughed blood and fell to the ground, eyes wide with pain.

Shepard fired several rounds in Tuvok's direction while Tuvok faded away from sight again. Shepard cautiously rushed to Ashley's side and knelt to her, keeping an eye open for their enemy. He looked at her and knew she had a broken rib. He placed a hand on her shoulder and calmly forced her to the ground.

"Stay here and don't move," Shepard told her before standing up again. Ashley coughed and fought back the shame.

Wrex growled again as he stepped forward, spitting orange blood again. The little turian was starting to piss him off and he was not in the mood for it. While he watched one direction, Shepard watched the other, keeping each other's blind spots well within their views. And they waited patiently.

Kaidan cautiously stepped upward, with a very reluctant Liara following from behind, her biotics flickering on and off erratically. Kaidan reached the top and kept his pistol at eye level. He saw Shepard and Wrex back to back keeping an eye on their surroundings.

"Lieutenant, I need you to do something for me," Shepard said cautiously.

"What?" Kaidan asked.

"If you will notice there is a lot of dust on the ground," Shepard said. "See what you can do with that."

Kaidan looked around and sure enough, the ground was pretty dusty. He gulped and knelt down, placing his pistol on the ground and putting the palm of his hands on the ground. He took a deep breath and exhaled, closing his eyes. He focused silently.

"Rahna," he whispered.

From his hands, a very gentle biotic wave strove across the ground. It wasn't powerful enough to affect things physically, but its very presence kicked up the dust from the ground as it moved across the ground, gently touching Shepard and Wrex's ankles.

Near one of the walls, the dust moved strangely, as if moving around something.

"Clever boy," Tuvok whispered.

Wrex roared with rage and ran forward, slamming his shotgun into the turian's stomach, picking him off the ground and smashing his frail, turian body against the concrete wall. Dropping his shotgun, Wrex grabbed him by his head and flipped him over his head, slamming again on the floor behind him. With another roar, Wrex moved his hand back and slammed a blue, biotic punch into Tuvok's stomach. The floor cracked under the force of the blow.

"Gotcha, you little shit." Wrex grinned with frustrated happiness. He held him down with an arm across his neck. Shepard placed the barrel of his assault rifle against Tuvok's forehead. Kaidan sighed and stood up, with a slightly more relieved Liara taking a deep, exalted breath.

"You're a tricky little fucker, aren't you?" Shepard asked. His head had begun to throb again. "Your lucky I need information from you or else I'd snap your neck in half for wasting my time."

Tuvok stared back with emotionless eyes.

"What did Saren want with the Thorian?" Shepard asked. Tuvok didn't answer. So Wrex slammed his elbow into the turian's chest.

"I'd answer if I were you," Wrex said. Tuvok stared back with dull bloodstained eyes. His jaw moved and he coughed up a glob of blue blood that landed near Wrex's eyes.

"Jarrod hits harder than you do," Tuvok said simply. Wrex's eyes widened in surprise. "Small wonder you could not kill him the first time around."

Wrex's mouth opened a little, surprised at what he said. Then his muscles began to tense and a small growl rumbled from his lips. Shepard narrowed his eyes. He had seen that tensing of the muscles on a krogan before. It was always bad news.

"Wrex, we need him alive!" Shepard told him. "He's trying to make you kill him!"

"I do not need to go that far, Commander," Tuvok said, looking at him. "Besides, should you not be focusing on the Thorian instead of on me? Do you think it will stay there waiting for you to kill it?"

Shepard blinked.

"_**Shit!"**_ Shepard exclaimed as he spun around. A horde of grey blobs was flying through the air, having been launched by the Thorian from below. They had forgotten about the plant.

Tuvok reacted by slamming his fists into both sides of Wrex's head, forcing biotics into his brain. Wrex's mouth lolled open and he fell to the side, knocked out cold. Tuvok rolled onto his feet and disappeared as the blobs formed into more creepers.

"Take them down quickly!" Shepard ordered Liara and Kaidan. Gunfire and biotic flaring filled the room as the creepers were torn to shreds. When they were all taken care of in a very quick fashion, they all stood, weak and weary and breathing heavily. Shepard quickly looked left and right, trying to find the threat. Wrex and Tali were knocked out cold and Ashley was nursing a broken rib near the doorway.

Liara gulped unsteadily as they spread out, keeping a weary eye. Her nerves were very unsettled by this time, having been fighting for most of the day. Her hands shook nervously as she gazed around, eyes wide with fear, trying very hard to find keep calm. She was failing in that regard.

Kaidan looked down the sight of his pistol and scanned the platform, breathing heavily. He looked left and right, trying to find some sign of where the turian was. Nothing. So if he wasn't in front of him then…

Kaidan spun around and fired. The turian's claw grabbed his hand and diverted the shot away from him.

"Your instincts are good," Tuvok said. "Have we met before?"

"I knew your brother," Kaidan replied and head butted him. Tuvok stumbled back and regained his footing, launching a wave of red biotics straight at Kaidan. Kaidan reacted by dropping his pistol and launching his own blue biotics. They connected and sparks flew as red met blue.

Shepard ran to the side and prepared to fire at the exposed Tuvok. Tuvok flicked his eyes over and brought up a barrier that repelled the bullets. Shepard cursed and ran forward, still firing, hoping to find a crack in his armor.

Liara picked up a nearby rock and threw it at Tuvok. Tuvok flicked his attention at the rock and grabbed it in mid-air. He moved his hand across and slammed the rock into Kaidan. His concentration broken, he was hit by a blast of red biotics and slammed into the wall.

"Thank you," Tuvok said. Liara paled in fear.

Shepard ran up and punched Tuvok straight into the face and followed up with a kick to his stomach. Tuvok took this and swiped his hand, a blade of biotics following the arc of his hand. Shepard stepped aside and slammed his foot into the side of Tuvok's knee, forcing him to the ground. He followed it up with another punch to the side of Tuvok's face, bringing more blue blood from his cheek.

Tuvok blinked and biotic power exploded from his body, forcing Shepard to step back a few steps. Tuvok darted towards Shepard and grabbed his head. Shepard punched the turian's elbow, but Tuvok wouldn't budge.

"Commander, I have a theory," Tuvok said. "That biotic power you possess did not originally belong to you. That it once belonged to someone you knew in your past. I am interested in finding out how this happened. So in order for that, we need to go a little bit into your past. Specifically, your time on Earth."

Shepard continued to try to break from Tuvok's grip, but his claws were digging into his skull.

"Let's begin," Tuvok said.

**Pain.**

Shepard screamed as Tuvok forced himself into his mind. Memories flashed past his eyes as they were sifted through by an alien presence. Everything moved backwards past his eyes. He was on Akuze, now he was on Torfan, now he was on Elysium, now he was on Arcturus Station, now he was on Mindoir, now he was on—

Earth.

"_**Stop! Not there!**_" Shepard screamed, falling to his knees, scratching them on the surface. _**"Please! Not there!"**_

Tuvok ignored him and began to go through the memories. Trapped within his mind, Shepard could see the streets, see the people, see the grey skies, and see the rain. Most of all, he could see the green eyed, red haired girl.

"_C'mon, Johnny! Finch wants something from us!" the girl called as she ran ahead._

"_This place will be our hideout! Our own little heaven under the boughs of the Tree of Life!" she called as she stood admiring the oak tree that grew in the middle of a forgotten building, golden light trailing down._

"_Move your ass, Johnny!" she called behind her as he chased after her._

"Not quite deep enough," Tuvok said and pushed through.

"_**Goddammit!"**_ Shepard screamed again, beating his fists weakly against the turian's body.

"_Johnny, am I beautiful?" she asked, staring at him from across the room. She was curled up under the covers, knees up to her chest._

"_You need to keep reading, okay? It makes you smarter," she said, forcing the book into his hands._

"_John, do you love me?" she asked._

"Almost there," Tuvok said.

Shepard screamed wordlessly, blood pouring from his nose. His vision began to fade.

"_No! You said only me!"_

"_Johnny, look at me! Look only at me"_

"_Don't worry, John," said the girl, who's face was a bloody mess. "I'll protect you." The bloody girl smiled warmly. He remembered her green eyes, brilliant in the dim light. She began to scream as a green flash blinded him._

Green mist began to emanate from Shepard's battered body. Tuvok knew he had found what he was looking for. He had found his answer to the question that plagued him so. If he still had emotions, he guessed he would feel satisfaction. Instead he felt nothing.

Tuvok released Shepard's head carelessly and he fell with a hard thump. The green mist that had begun to rise from his body began to fade away. Shepard stared at the ground, fighting the tears and shuddering. She was there, as clearly as the sun in the sky. Now he could not put her away. He did not have the strength to push himself up again but he tried. Keep moving forward. Keep moving.

Tuvok dusted his hands off and gazed over at Liara, remembering that she was there. She sat on the ground, eyes wide with terror and visibly shaking. Tears were streaming from her eyes with reckless abandon. Tuvok examined her with his red eyes and she stiffened. Those horrid eyes were looking at her again.

"Do I frighten you?" Tuvok asked. Liara gulped and shuddered, nearly sobbing. Tuvok examined her body actions.

"Sorry," Tuvok said.

Liara blinked. Did he say he was sorry? Sorry for terrorizing the people she called her friends? Sorry for causing pain for all the people around her? Sorry for bringing the proud commander down to his knees in pain? Sorry for tearing off her mental clothing and seeing her for what she really was, a weak, pathetic, worthless asari? No! He did not have that right! He did not have the right to feel sorry! He shouldn't feel sorry! He should be on his knees begging for forgiveness! He should be in pain! They did not deserve this! She did not deserve this! Shepard did not deserve this! He deserved—

Something within Liara snapped.

Liara screamed as a violent field of biotic energy wrapped itself around her. Wind blew away from her, kicking up the dust. Tuvok looked at her, bringing an arm up to shield his eyes from the dust. Liara's eyes glowed with a menacing blue fire that enveloped her entire body. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth.

"I knew you had a breaking point," Tuvok said.

Liara darted forward with surprising speed and agility, forcing Tuvok to take a step back and bring up his red barrier. Liara was inches away from his body when she pulled her arm and back and slammed it with all the strength she could muster. Her fist slammed into his barrier with enough force to rattle the final arm of the Thorian, causing it to shriek again. Screaming, Liara pushed forward and her fist tore through the barrier and exploded into Tuvok's side. Blue blood exploded from Tuvok's mouth as he felt his rib-cage collapse. It poured onto the ground in torrents. But Liara was furious now. A little blood wouldn't be enough.

Yelling incoherently, Liara gripped him and threw him with her powers, slamming him into the wall near Kaidan. Tuvok's blood smeared against the concrete and he coughed some more. Nearby, Kaidan was slowly coming back to his senses, shaking his head. He looked up and saw what appeared to be an asari covered in flames of pure hate.

"Liara?" Kaidan asked. It was all he could do.

Liara reached out and pulled Tuvok towards her before he could recover. She lifted him up into the air and held him suspended. Angry and bitter tears raced down her cheeks as her instincts took over. Screaming, she slammed his body into the ground, creating a large crater around his body.

Liara was hysterical now, slamming her biotics into the turians body repeatedly, each hit forcing him further and further into the crater. With each scream, his body was crushed further into the crater. With each tear, she tried to erase his hold on her. Her fear needed to be erased.

With each crushing blow, she tried to make those red eyes disappear from her mind.

With one final scream, Liara brought both fists down, slamming a final biotic field into Tuvok's battered and broken body. With that final blow, the ground broke and he was crushed into the next floor. And the next. And the next. Liara fell to her knees and panted heavily. All that was left of the turian was the hole and his blood. And the damage he had done to the people around him.

Kaidan blinked away the grogginess as he stood back onto his feet. When he looked up, he saw Liara on her knees in front of a large hole in the ground, her shoulders shaking. Shepard was slowly getting onto his feet, though he was stumbling. Head down and face concealed, he wobbled on his feet. He took tiny steps forward towards Liara's shaking figure. He was soon standing beside her where he fell to his knees.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Shepard mumbled. "Making people get what they deserve." Liara shuddered as she fell to the side, resting her head on his shoulder. She cried openly as Shepard acted as her silent cushion.

"Kaidan," Shepard said. "Check on the others." Kaidan nodded and without a word, went to the aid of the others. Shepard let him go while he sat in deep thought, recovering from the invasion of his mind, for that's what it was. From the corner of his eye, he watched Liara sob into his armored shoulder. He had seen the entire thing, despite being in a mental wreck. She had acted on impulse, on emotion.

Like he had on Torfan…

Shepard sighed. Liara shouldn't have had to resort to that. She was better than that.

Ashley coughed as she was rolled onto her side. She could feel the rib move and it brought a groan from her mouth.

"Don't move," he told her. Ashley blinked away the pain and looked to her side.

"What…what happened to the turian?" she asked slowly.

"Liara took care of him," Kaidan said simply.

"Liara?" she asked and turned her head. She could only hear screaming and destruction. She had heard such violent sounds but the pain in her side kept her from seeing what was going on. Now, she saw the blue blood on the walls, the hole in the ground where Tuvok was. She saw Liara sobbing into Shepard's shoulder. Again, she couldn't do anything. She slammed her fist into the ground in anger and frustration. It was the last thing she did before she blacked out again.

"What the hell happened?" Wrex asked, coughing dust as he pushed himself up, shaking his head like a dog.

"Liara kicked the shit out of that turian's ass," Kaidan told him, checking his wounds, though he didn't need to. They were regenerating quickly and efficiently.

"Liara? Never thought that would happen," Wrex scoffed and scratched his head. "Good job." Liara only shuddered as she breathed quickly.

Shepard gently placed his hands on her shoulders and stood up, making sure she didn't fall down. He released her and walked up to the last quivering arm of the Thorian, pulsing from activity. Shepard stared at the arm for what seemed an eternity. Then he grabbed his rifle and aimed at the arm. He fired at point blank range, spraying green mucous everywhere with every shot. Soon, the arm exploded and shrank as it bled everywhere.

Throughout the tower, the force of gravity and the weight of the Thorian's main body were slowly tearing down the arms that had held it up for centuries. Arm after arm popped off their handholds and were flung like rubber towards the Thorian. With one final guttural shriek, the last arm snapped off and it fell to the darkness of Feros below. Shepard watched it fall with a hint of satisfaction before spitting over the edge.

He turned away and was about to return to his damaged crew before he heard a sound from behind. Shepard furrowed his brow in frustration as he turned around. He noticed that covering the walls were large pouches of red, pulsing fluid. One of them had popped and released something onto the ground beneath it. It squirmed and coughed before pushing itself back onto its feet, stumbling slightly. When it looked up, Shepard realized that it was the asari that had attacked them before, but her skin was the normal purple color.

"I'm…I'm free!" the asari exclaimed, examining her hands and body. She wasn't naked and was wearing the typical body armor of the asari Commandos. Her eyes were a dark purple as were the flecks of markings on her face. She looked around her and finally noticed Shepard. "I…I guess I should thank you for rescuing me."

Shepard stared at her for a moment before pulling his pistol up and aiming at her.

"Wasn't trying to," Shepard told her gruffly. "Who the hell are you?"

"There…there's no need for that, Commander," the asari said, holding her hands up in the air.

"I'll be the judge of that," Shepard said. "Now, who the hell are you?"

"My name is Shiala," she began slowly. "I serve…well, I served Matriarch Benezia. I was one of the Commandos under her leadership. So when she allied herself with Saren, so did I."

"Well, that makes things easy," Wrex said as he pulled out his shotgun, preparing to fire.

"Wrex, not now," Shepard ordered without looking at him, his violent blue eyes piercing into Shiala's purple.

"She works for Benezia, who works for Saren," Wrex said. "What more do you need?"

"Answers to what exactly Saren wanted with the Thorian," Kaidan told him from Ashley's side. Wrex snorted before relaxing a bit. Liara watched with wide eyes.

"I know it sounds hard to believe, but the Matriarch was not always Saren's loyal servant," Shiala said. "The Matriarch foresaw the influence Saren would have. She joined him to guide him down a gentler path. A path with less bloodshed. But, Saren is…compelling. The Matriarch lost her way."

"Saren is charismatic, I can understand that," Shepard said. "But I highly doubt that Saren could convince a thousand year old Matriarch to completely change her ways."

"She underestimated Saren, just as I did," Shiala continued. "We came to believe in his ideals, his cause and his goals. The…strength of this influence is…troubling."

"You were duped by a turian," Wrex scoffed. "And I thought the asari were infallible."

"She tried to manipulate Saren and instead, it backfired," Shepard said. His grip on his pistol was starting to relax. "But I'm pretty sure that a woman like the Matriarch would be careful."

"She would be," Liara spoke up meekly. "And she is as intelligent as Matriarchs come. Maybe more so. A man like Saren would not so easily mislead her. I remember when I wanted a pet, I had to convince her over the course of an entire year and when she finally gave me one, I didn't even want it anymore."

"Saren has a vessel," Shiala continued. She began to pace back and forth as she talked, deep in thought. "An enormous warship unlike any I have ever seen. He calls it Sovereign. It can dominate the minds of his followers. They become…indoctrinated under Saren's will. The process is subtle; it can take days, weeks, but in the end, it is absolute. I was a willing slave when Saren brought me to this world. He needed my biotics to communicate with the Thorian, to learn its secrets. Saren offered me in trade. I was sacrificed to secure an alliance between Saren and the Thorian."

"Well, what'd you expect?" Shepard said, recalling Saren's dossier. "He's a man who works, first and foremost, alone. Every mission he has ever been on, he has worked alone. If he was forced to work with a team, he either distanced himself from them or was the leader. He's a turian that needs to be in control of everything. The fact that he'd so willingly sacrifice a tool is typical of him."

"But Commander," Kaidan asked. "The geth were trying to destroy the Thorian when we got here. If they were supposed to be allies, then why go through the trouble?"

"After Saren had what he needed, the Thorian became a liability," Shiala answered. "Saren knows you are searching for the Conduit. He knows you're following his steps. He attacked the Thorian so he could not gain the Cipher." Shepard stared at her for a moment, before lowering his head and smiling.

"Good," he muttered happily. "But what's the Cipher?"

"You received a vision from the Beacon on Eden Prime," Shiala explained. "But the visions are unclear, confusing. They were meant to be interpreted by a Prothean mind. To truly comprehend them, you must think like a Prothean. You must understand their culture, their history, and their very existence. The Thorian was here long before the Protheans built this city. It watched and studied them. When it died, it consumed them. They became a part of it."

"So the Thorian taught Saren how to think like a Prothean so he could understand the vision from the Beacon," Shepard concluded.

"But how is that possible?" Liara asked.

"The Cipher is the very essence of being a Prothean," Shiala said. "It cannot be described or explained. It would be like describing color to a creature without eyes. To understand, you must have access to endemic ancestral memory, a viewpoint spanning thousands of Prothean generations. I sensed this ancestral memory, the Cipher, when I melded with the Thorian. Our identities merged, our minds intertwined. Such knowledge cannot be taught. It simply exists."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait," Shepard forced to stop her midsentence and rub his head. "You _melded_ with that…tumor?"

"Yes," Shiala said.

"Isn't melding like…how you reproduce?" Shepard asked.

"It can be," Shiala said. Liara looked at Shepard quizzically as he stared at Shiala.

"Try not to get offended," Shepard said. "But that's pretty fucking gross."

"I was not trying to reproduce with the Thorian!" Shiala exclaimed. "I was simply melding with its mind!"

"Yeah, that's still fucking gross," Shepard said.

"Focus, Commander," Kaidan told him.

"If you want to go after Saren, you'll need to access the Cipher," Liara told him, not smiling. She did not feel like smiling.

"There…is a way," Shiala said. "I can transfer the knowledge from my mind to yours. As I did with Saren." Shiala took a step forward as she talked.

"Whoa, what are you doing?" Shepard asked, aiming the pistol at her.

"Please, I am trying to help," Shiala explained. "It will only take a moment. As she said, you will need it to follow Saren."

Shepard tapped the handle of his pistol, thinking. He looked at Liara who nodded. He sighed.

"Alright," Shepard said, lowering his gun. He took a deep breath. "Let's get this over with."

"Try to relax, Commander," Shiala said. "Slow, deep breaths."

Shepard follwed her orders, taking slow, deep breaths. He felt his heart rate start to slow and his vision start to dim slightly. The headache in his head was slowly ebbing away like a tide.

"Let go of your physical shell," Shiala continued. "Reach out to grasp the threads that bind us, one to another."

Her voice was hypnotic and Shepard felt himself start to slip away as she stepped forward, standing face to face with him. Shepard could start to feel her eyes tracing the features on his face, the red blood smear, the scar running down his eye, his lips, his blue eyes, his dark hair. He could feel it all.

"Every action sends ripples across the galaxy," Shiala continued her hypnotic sound. "Every idea must touch another mind to live. Each emotion must mark another's spirit."

Shepard continued to breathe and Shiala continued to speak. He was fading away. His skin felt like a suit being taken away. He could feel his body flowing away down the stream. He was only a mind. He was only himself.

"We are all connected," Shiala said. "Every single being united in a single glorious existence."

Shepard took one final breath, breathing in and then letting it out.

"Open yourself to the universe, Commander," Shiala concluded. She lifted her head up, closing her eyes. Her head snapped down and she opened her eyes. They were completely black.

"Embrace eternity."

And he saw it. He saw it all. For one moment in time, he was the entire history of the Protheans. Every memory they had, he had. Every smell, every sight, every touch, every taste, every sound he remembered with clarity. Every cry of a newborn, every laughter of a child, every scream of a death, he could see it all. He not only felt it, but he lived it. In one microsecond of the universe, he lived out the entire existence of the Protheans, from the moment they climbed from cesspools of creations, to the moment the were eradicated from existence by—

_**The Reapers are coming—**_

_____War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death_-

He felt their pain.

_____War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death_-

He felt their agony.

**Reapers…**

_____War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death_-

He felt their anguish.

_-Prothean-_

He felt their suffering.

…**flee…**

_____War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death_-

He witnessed the carnage.

…**for they will exterminate you all…**

_____War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death_-

He felt the finality of their existence. He knew as they did that they were not going to survive. He felt every tear drop that fell from their eyes as they gazed upon the sky, darkened by—

_**They come for us all.**_

_____War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death_-

_**The Conduit is our last—**_

He saw then the galaxy in flames. Planets being burned in an almost purifying fire that eradicated them all from existence. And as the fire burned, existence melted away. The planets melted, the stars melted, the blackness behind the stars melted into nothingness. And within that nothingness he saw—

_**The Conduit is our gift to—**_

From within the nothingness, something stirred and it surged forward towards Shepard. He knew it immediately. The ship from Eden Prime. The ship that Saren helmed. The ship called Sovereign. But it was moving towards him, like a claw coming to claim him into the depths of h—

Shepard coughed as he gasped for air. Shiala stumbled away as she grasped her head. She had seen what he had seen and she was confused by it. Shepard was simply trying to breathe again. Wrex grabbed his shoulders and held him up.

"You look as pale as my right nut," Wrex noted.

"Not exactly the kind of picture I need in my head right now," Shepard told him, gasping for air.

"I…I have given you the Cipher," Shiala explained. "Just as it was given to Saren. The ancestral memories of the Protheans are a part of you now."

"What did you see, Commander?" Liara asked.

"I saw…something," Shepard answered, his eyes distant. "It made a little more sense than before but…not much."

"You have been given a great gift," Shiala said. "The experience of an entire people. It will take time for your mind to process this information. I am sorry if you have suffered but there was no other way. You needed the Cipher. In time, it will help you understand the vision from the Beacon."

"Great," Shepard sighed as he pushed himself up onto his feet. "We're done here. Let's get back to the Normandy."

"What about the Commando?" Wrex asked. "What happens to her?"

"You saved my life," Shiala said. "But I did play a part in the suffering of the people of Zhu's Hope. What you do to me is up to you." Shepard stared at her, nursing his aching head. The darkness around his eyes told a thousand stories as he stared at her.

"I was crushed into a wall by a giant geth," Shepard said. "My brain feels like Swiss cheese and that's when it doesn't feel like someone shoved a steel rod in my head and melted it. I've been shot at by geth and humans alike. I've been mind-raped three times, twice by a red sand addicted turian and a third time by you. I've been puked on by zombies that were shat out from a giant tumor the size of the Normandy. My crew and I have been through hell and back. My turian teammate has a hole the size of a sniper rifle barrel thorugh his side. My quarian teammate's knocked out and has a rupture in her suit that will cause her to be sick later on. My gunnery chief has a broken rib and my lieutenant's blood vessels are popping left and right. My asari teammate has been broken in thousands of pieces and is in no condition right now to even think. And the krogan standing next to me smells like every kind of shit known to the Council. What exactly makes you think I care what happens to you right now?"

Shepard turned away and attended to a knocked out Ashley, leaving Shiala speechless. She gulped and followed him, trying to help in any way she could. As Shepard picked up Ashley, cradling her in his arms, he looked up and saw Tali at the doorway. She looked at Shepard, then at the craters surrounding the battle field, then at the blood smears, then at the hole in the ground, then at Shiala, who she had not met before.

"Alright," her watery voice sounded exhausted. "What did I miss?"

* * *

Wow, I leave for a bit for college and I start getting death threats. People must like this story more than I realized. Seriously though, I've been busy with college work. It was just essay after essay. Then a bunch of bullshit drama with friends. Ugh. Good to start writing this again though. We're actually getting to stuff I'm going to enjoy writing again! We might meet a certain crazy Major in the near future…


	54. Chapter 44: Forever Stained

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware

«5.10: Attican Beta: Theseus System: Feros: Zhu's Hope»

«or Forever Stained»

Lizbeth leaned forward as she examined the vitals of one of the colonists, Calantha Blake. The older woman moaned softly as she shifted, hands on her stomach. Lizbeth comforted her as best she could, resting her hand on Calantha's. Satisfied with what she saw on the monitor, she wiped sweat from her brow and retied her hair in a tight ponytail so it wouldn't get in her eyes.

It had been nearly five hours since Shepard had sent a message to them that the Thorian was dead. Since then, the surviving ExoGeni team had been moved via the Mako to Zhu's Hope. What they found there wasn't pretty, but Lizbeth knew that it could have been a lot worse. Just as Ethan Jeong had said, they had all known about Shepard's reputation and his illustrious career. Lizbeth knew that if Shepard had wanted to, he could have probably just killed everybody in the entire colony and called it a day.

Which was exactly why she was grateful for what Shepard accomplished. Every survivor was still alive thanks to him. And now they were just feeling the after effects of the Thorian's death. Most were complaining of headaches, stomach pains, and nausea. Some were even vomiting, though if this was due to the Thorian's spore dying in their systems or due to the gas they had developed was still a mystery. For now, they were just treating the symptoms as best as they could.

"Miss Lizbeth, dear, would you kindly hand me that syringe on the counter?" Dr. Chakwas asked politely in a tone that almost sounded grandmotherly.

"Sure," Lizbeth said, pausing only for a short breath. Chakwas examined her for a moment, noting the beads of sweat on her forehead.

"On second thought, dear, why don't you go get something to eat," Chakwas asked. "I can manage on my own for now."

"I'm fine, doctor! I can help!" Lizbeth protested.

"Dear, you are quite pale," Chakwas said. "You look like you could faint dead away at any moment. I understand that you wish to help but really, I can handle this."

"But—" Lizbeth said.

"No 'buts,' off you go," Chakwas said, shooing her away with both her hands. Lizbeth was ushered out of the room and into the cool night air of the Feros.

"Are you sure you can handle it? There are a lot of the colonists in there," Lizbeth asked again.

"Psh! I've sewn marine's limbs together with the medical equivalent of tissue paper," Chakwas said. "I can handle a few civilians with tummy aches."

Though Lizbeth knew she probably shouldn't be smiling, she did anyways. It was hard to see how anything humorous could survive after so much had happened, but it was refreshing to have a reason to smile. Even if it was for an old war story.

Sighing to herself, she examined what remained of Zhu's Hope. It was livelier now then when she had first entered, with the surviving ExoGeni employees working to repair some of the damage and with the crew of the Normandy aiding in whatever way they could.

Lizbeth turned and spied a young woman sitting in the corner, away from everyone else. Sadly, she knew who it was. Who else could it be but Arcelia Silva Martinez? She was the first to come to and the first to fully comprehend what had transpired. She had not taken it well.

"Hey, Arcelia," Lizbeth said soothingly as she approached. Arcelia said nothing, face shrouded in darkness. Lizbeth tried to find the right words, but none came. Instead, she tried to distract her. "Maybe you could help Tali set up the automated defenses?"

"I don't know the first thing about tech," Arcelia replied simply.

"Well, maybe you could help Kaidan clean up the place," Lizbeth said. "It's a bit of a mess."

"I wonder whose fault that is," Arcelia said bitterly. Lizbeth bit her lip, trying to figure out what to say next.

"Arcelia," Lizbeth began slowly. "I can't imagine what you're feeling right now. To see so many of your friends…well, you know. I can't even fathom it. And I know that you must hate each and every one of us from ExoGeni for it. We allowed it to happen. _I_ allowed it to happen. I'm sorry." Her voice trailed off.

"That's it?" Arcelia asked. "That's all you have to say? Fai Dan is dead and all you have to say is sorry?"

"I—" Lizbeth said.

"Just shut up," Arcelia said coldly. "Go away before you do more damage." Arcelia bowed her head deeper into the corner, hiding her head fully. Lizbeth wanted to say more, wanted to get her out of this, wanted to help her. She stepped forward but a hand gripped her shoulder.

"Lizbeth, it's best to leave her alone," Juliana, her mother, whispered. Lizbeth worked her mouth for a moment before finally closing it and allowing her mother to lead her away.

"I want to help, mom," Lizbeth said simply.

"You are," Juliana replied. "You're doing more for them than ExoGeni has. Than I have. But we've done terrible things to them, Lizbeth. We left them to the whims of a creature who twisted and perverted them, just so we could study them. We have a lot to make up for. Some of the colonists…they will still hate us even though we are trying to help. They will still hate us even though we are trying to make up for our mistake."

"So why bother?" Lizbeth asked, pain gripping her heart.

"Because we aren't doing this to earn back their love," Juliana explained. "We're doing it because it's the right thing to do. Because we understand that we made a mistake and we need to correct it." Juliana glanced to her left and chuckled. "Well, some of us are. Others, like Jeong, are doing it because if he doesn't, Shepard will stab him with his knife. Or worse."

Lizbeth snorted and covered her mouth as she looked at Jeong, sweating profusely under the watchful eye of a krogan. She looked around at the colony. Everyone was working to make things right, even Shepard's crew. Marines and technicians were walking to and from all sorts of problems. No complaints, no disagreements. Just doing the jobs they were given. And it all worked together to make sure the place was able to move on. She would have to work just as hard, even if it meant being hated for it. She looked around one last time before turning to her mother.

"Where's Commander Shepard?" Lizbeth asked.

"He's in the main hut," Juliana answered. "I think he's interrogating the asari they found with the Thorian."

\::/::\::/::\::/

"This ship Saren has," Shepard said, sitting across from Shiala in the dimly lit room. His face caked with dried blood. He still hadn't bothered to wash it off. "Sovereign, you called it? It was the ship on Eden Prime wasn't it?"

"Yes," Shiala nodded. "It is his flagship and…it is quite massive."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Kaidan said, thinking back to when he first saw it in the distance on Eden Prime. He shuddered at the thought and crossed his arms in front of his chest as he leaned against the wall.

"Tell me more about it," Shepard continued.

"Sovereign is…well, alien," Shiala tried to explain. "I do not know how it was built or where it comes from. Its design doesn't match that of any known space-faring species. It dwarfs any vessel the Citadel or Alliance fleets. Its weapons are devastating and its defenses are virtually impenetrable. With it, Saren believes he is unstoppable and…he may be right."

"You mentioned that Saren uses it to manipulate his followers," Shepard said. "Like with Matriarch Benezia."

"The Indoctrination," Shiala said, shuddering slightly at the thought. "There is an…energy around Sovereign. You feel…drawn to the ship. It makes Saren's arguments more…persuasive, more compelling. Spend enough time in Sovereign's presence and you will lose yourself. There is no other way to explain it."

"Is that what happened to Benezia?" Shepard asked.

"Benezia was greatly respected among my people," Shiala explained. "A powerful biotic, even for an asari. She was widely known as a teacher of philosophy and literature. She always sought the paths of peace and harmony. She joined with Saren because she hoped to turn him away from his path of destruction."

"Something tells me that that didn't go the way she wanted it to," Shepard sighed as he leaned back in his chair.

"In other words, she instead became his most powerful ally," Kaidan commented.

"As I mentioned before, Matriarch Benezia underestimated Saren," Shiala said. "Be sure you don't make the same mistake."

"Oh, I have an idea of what Saren is capable of," Shepard muttered, rubbing his forehead. His headache wasn't as bad as before but it was still noticeable. Without being asked to, Kaidan walked over from his corner and placed a canteen of water on the table next to him. Shepard looked over at him and sighed. He took the canteen and thanked him quietly. Kaidan nodded and returned to where he was. Shepard offered water to Shiala but she shook her head. "Tell me about yourself, Shiala."

"There is nothing remarkable about me," Shiala said, her purple skin reflecting the dim light above her. "I was merely one of Matriarch Benezia's disciples. For nearly two centuries I followed her, learning at her feet. When Benezia revealed her plan to join Saren, she gave her disciples a choice. Only those who were willing had to follow her. Many felt her plan was too dangerous. But I believed in her. I thought she could turn Saren away from his insanity. Instead we joined him in it."

"That's not your fault," Shepard said, taking a large gulp of the water. "You know that."

"I know," Shiala nodded. "What surprised me more was…just how easy it was for him to turn us away from our previous plan. How easy it was for him to just…make us believe his way was right. One of the most powerful of the asari peoples was reduced to his slave in a matter of weeks. And we were none the wiser. Just like I was with the Thorian"

Shepard gazed over at Shiala for a moment before Kaidan changed the subject.

"What was it like?" Kaidan asked. "When you were with the Thorian?"

"When the creature enveloped me, I became…part of it," Shiala tried her best to explain, furrowing her brow. "But I still don't truly understand it, it was so alien, so ancient. Its exact age is impossible to know. It measured time differently. 10,000 years of hibernation broken by a few frantic centuries of activity. Its mind was…awesome. Magnificent. It transcended all classification. And now it is gone."

"Don't tell me you're sad it's dead," Shepard said.

"The Thorian was a unique life form," Shiala explained. "A sentient being that lived for 50,000 years, maybe more. There is nothing even remotely like it in the known galaxy. I'm grateful you saved me from a life of thralldom, yet I can't help but feel some sorrow for such a rare and remarkable creature."

"Well, it had to be destroyed," Kaidan said. "It made itself clear that coexistence was not an option."

"No doubt," Shiala nodded. Shepard said nothing and began to stare at nothing in particular.

"Saren," Shepard said. Shiala could see in his eyes what he was asking.

"There is little I can tell you about him that you do not already know," Shiala said. "He's powerful. He's charismatic. And he's dangerous. Once I followed him, blind to his true nature. But now I see he is leading the galaxy into an age of darkness and suffering."

"But why?" Kaidan shook his head. "What could he possibly gain from it? It doesn't make sense."

"Don't try to understand him," Shepard said. "You'll just give yourself a headache." He stood up and massaged his neck. "I think, Shiala that that is all we have for you."

"Then will you allow me to aid the colonists in rebuilding the settlement?" Shiala asked.

"Yeah, yeah, do whatever you want," Shepard waved her off. Shiala bowed her head and stood up, as gracefully as any other asari. With one last lingering look at Shepard, she turned around and glided towards the door.

"Thank you," Shiala said over her shoulder. Her eyes appeared to be filled with much more emotion than her voice dared to betray. "For everything, Commander."

Shepard said nothing as she walked out of the room. After a moment, she followed her out into the cool night air of Feros. It was refreshing, feeling the cool air against his skin. Shepard breathed it in slowly as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his belt. He picked one and placed it into his mouth. He took a box of matches from his belt and struck a light, lighting the cigarette. He felt the fumes enter his lungs and fill his body. It was relaxing.

"You know those'll kill you one day," Kaidan said, pointing to the cigarette between Shepard's lips.

"We're all going to die some day, LT," Shepard replied. "The one thing we can control is how we die." Kaidan shrugged and gazed out across the colony.

"There appears to be life in this colony again," Kaidan said.

"Yeah," Shepard said. "Jeong says that ExoGeni will stay and help rebuild their 'expenses,' as he put it. With Lizbeth and Juliana watching after him, I'm sure he'll keep his word."

"That, and the fact that you made him more afraid of you coming back with a bullet waiting for him if he doesn't," Kaidan chuckled.

"Hey, I can be a persuasive guy if I want to be," Shepard laughed.

"It's more than being persuasive," Kaidan said, a little more seriously. "You've got something that makes people believe every word you say." Kaidan looked at Shepard for some kind of reaction but he had turned his face away. Kaidan faced the colony once again while Shepard took another breath from his cigarette.

"We can't stay here," Shepard said at last.

"Yeah," Kaidan said. "We need to go after Saren. And I think Juliana and Lizbeth have the colony well under control now. They can manage without us."

"Saren knows I'm getting closer," Shepard said, eyes distant. "I wonder if he can feel it. I wonder what he thinks of that."

"He's probably scared," Kaidan said.

"No," Shepard shook his head. "I've read his profile. He doesn't get scared. He's always in control. No, he's probably…intrigued." With that, Shepard threw the butt down onto the ground and stepped on it, walking forward. Kaidan followed after him as he looked for Lizbeth and Juliana Baynham. He found them drinking water by other's taking a break.

"Commander," Juliana said.

"How're repairs going?" Shepard asked.

"Slow," Juliana said. "But they're coming along. And with ExoGeni's help, we'll probably be back to the way things were before the attack in a few months."

"Ms. Baynham," Shepard said with a grim smile. "You know thing's will never go back to the way things were before the attack."

"Yes, I know," Juliana said. "But we try anyways."

"If there's anything else you need from me or my crew…" Shepard said.

"Commander, we can handle this on our own, now," Lizbeth said. "You gave us a good start but now, we need to do this by ourselves."

"Then we must leave," Shepard said. Juliana nodded and held out her hand.

"Thank you for everything, Commander," Juliana said as Shepard shook her hand. Lizbeth held out her hand.

"Thank you," Lizbeth said. "And I'm sorry I shot at you." Shepard smiled at her and shook her hand. He turned around and walked away. As he walked, several of the colonists looked up from their work and gave him their respect in their own ways. Even Arcelia looked up and smiled at him, thankful for all he had done. Shepard held a small smile on his lips as he walked.

After that, Shepard gathered the handful of marines and technicians from the Normandy to aid in the repairs and returned to their frigate. Wrex grumbled about being the first one in the bath and no one argued with him. He smelled terrible. Shepard stood by the door and allowed everyone else to walk before him. Kaidan stayed with him just to add the company.

"You wanted to know more about that turian fellow, didn't you?" Shepard asked, catching Kaidan off guard.

"Yeah," Kaidan admitted. "Yeah, I wanted to know more about him. I've read his profile but…I wanted to know more."

"Was he related to someone you knew?" Shepard asked.

"He may have been," Kaidan said. "Or he may not have been. That's what I wanted to know. If he was part of…a bad memory."

"Sorry you couldn't find out," was all Shepard said before dropping the subject. As the last of the technicians filed in, Dr. Chakwas walked up to Shepard. Before he could react, Chakwas grabbed Shepard by the ear and pulled him down to her level.

"Ah! Easy!" Shepard cried.

"You are going down to the infirmary to rest and that's final!" Chakwas ordered, dragging him along behind her. "I swear, the more I try to patch you up, the more you tear yourself apart! Infuriating!"

"Kaidan, Kaidan! Little help here!" Shepard pleaded, being pulled into the Normandy.

"Sorry, Commander," Kaidan shrugged, following them. "But she's the one who supplies me my medication for my migraines. I'd rather not get on her bad side."

Shepard was pulled into the Normandy, followed by a very amused Kaidan. The door closed and the Normandy fired her engines. It backed out of the hanger and turned gracefully, pointing towards the sky. And with a large burst, she broke the gravity of the planet and entered the darkness of space.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Jarrod climbed over the rubble and debris, making his way towards a dark figure lying on the ground. After their encounter with Shepard at the ExoGeni building, Tuvok and Jarrod had gone their separate ways, deciding they could get more done if they split up. Jarrod didn't mind; he didn't want to spend too much time with the turian. Instead, he tried to find a suitable place for a geth drop ship to pick them up when they were done. When he heard the explosion and a loud shriek, he quickly guessed that the Thorian was dead. So he had decided to go to where the Thorian was earlier to see the damage. Now, he could make out Tuvok's seemingly lifeless body before him.

Jarrod stood over the turian's black body, tinted blue with blood. He was quite a mess. Broken bones bent his limbs in angles that were odd by turian standards. He lay in a pool of blood and rocks that did not look comfortable to land on.

"Can't believe you're still alive, turian," Jarrod chuckled. Jarrod reached down and grabbed the turian's head. He knew a little about how his biotics worked. If Tuvok was touching someone, then he could infiltrate their minds through the nerves. That's how he broke his victims. Jarrod knew that Tuvok wouldn't dare try that on him. Not at all because he trusted him but because Tuvok knew that he could break the turian in half if he tried. Instead, Tuvok relayed a message.

_Barely_, Jarrod could hear Tuvok's voice in his head. Still the same, emotionless voice that annoyed Jarrod.

"You're harder to kill than a thresher maw," Jarrod commented.

_I am just resourceful,_ Tuvok said. _Before the fall, I cut off the nerves connecting my body to my brain. Basically, as the asari destroyed my body, the only thing that wasn't taking damage was my brain. I was aware of what was going on. Now, my brain is working over time, trying to keep everything running. I'm basically forcing my heart to beat right now. If I am to survive, I will need Dr. Saleon's assistance._

"Figured you'd say that," Jarrod sighed. "I'm gonna have to carry you, aren't I?"

_If you do not mind,_ Tuvok said.

"Is it safe for me to move around or are your intestines gonna slide down my back as I move you?" Jarrod asked.

_I have blocked most of the blood from leaking out of my body, but be gentle,_ Tuvok said.

"Can't make any promises," Jarrod said as he grabbed the turian's arms and pulled him over his shoulder. Blue blood spurted slightly and began to leak down Jarrod's back.

_That was not gentle_, Tuvok said.

"Hate to tell you, turian, but you are in no position to be worrying about comfort," Jarrod said.

Slowly, Jarrod made his way through the debris and rocks with Tuvok slung over his shoulder. Despite the extra baggage, Jarrod moved with relative ease. Turians didn't exactly weigh that much since most of their body was just skin and bones. Besides, Jarrod was a veteran of the Rachni Wars and of the Krogan Rebellions. Carrying a wimpy little turian was nothing.

After about a half an hour, Jarrod finally arrived at the rendezvous point and was surprised to see something had beat him there.

"Scar? Didn't expect to see you here," Jarrod said to the massive geth prime, who also towered over him. The Prime made no movement of any kind, hibernating to preserve energy. What was more surprising was to see a young varren resting at the Prime's feet.

"Hey, Scar, did you get a pet?" Jarrod asked. He knelt down and tried to pet the young pup. The varren opened its purple, insect-like eyes and hopped onto its feet. It bent its head low and growled contemptuously. "Easy, pup!"

Hearing the varren's growls, Scar woke up and leaned its head forward, coming face to face with the warlord's own scarred face. Its one flashlight eye glowed a menacing red as it stared the krogan down.

"I thought geth couldn't feel emotions," Jarrod said, backing off a little.

_They cannot_, Tuvok said. Jarrod shook his head and looked up towards the sky as he heard a loud humming noise. He spotted the geth drop ship as it descended towards the area they had picked out for them. Jarrod raised a hand to his eyes as dust began to kick up. Scar stood up and the varren came to attention as a mass effect field shot down towards the ground, creating a tube-like area where they could safely rise up into the drop ship itself.

"Well, time to say good-bye to this shit hole," Jarrod muttered as he entered the mass effect field and began to rise into the air. Scar picked up the varren pup and walked into the field as well, rising up towards the drop ship. With all accounted for, the drop ship broke away from the planet of Feros and returned back to the darkness from where it came.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Shepard looked around the debriefing area and all he could see were tired and haggard faces. Ashley was suffering from a cracked rib, Garrus had a hole in his side, Tali had a slight fever and Wrex was…well, he was Wrex. Only Liara and Kaidan had come out of the ordeal of Feros relatively unscathed, though Liara was much worse off than Kaidan was. All were exhausted. And all Shepard had was a headache.

"Well," Shepard said, breaking the silence. "I can say for certain now that for the next 24 hours, we will all be passed out." The statement brought a slight chuckle from the group.

"I'm gonna hit the bed as soon as this meeting's over, Commander," Garrus said. "That is, if I don't pass out before I get there."

"You would, _turian_," Wrex snorted.

"Well, at least I won't go to sleep smelling like you," Garrus shot back.

"He's got you there, Wrex," Kaidan laughed.

"_I_ can't smell anything, anyways," Tali said, sniffing. She coughed slightly as she laughed along with the group.

"Trust me, Tali," Ashley said, smiling. "You don't want to. He smell's like a monkey's ass."

"There are three monkeys in this room right now and I am _not _one of them," Wrex said. Shepard shook his head and smiled. They were going to be just fine.

"Commander?" Liara's quiet voice spoke up. "You look…pale. Are you suffering any ill-effects from the Cipher?" For a second, Shepard stood there, dumbfounded. Why was she worried about him? She got it worse than he did.

"Yeah, Commander," Ashley said, face looking concerned. "You were brain-probed a couple times today."

"That is not exactly how I would describe it," Liara said, furrowing her brow a little.

"Well, how would you describe it?" Ashley asked, her tone becoming a little harsh. "Both a turian _and_ an asari raped his brain."

"The turian raped it a couple times," Shepard said. "The asari…she just kind of poked it softly. I'm fine, really."

"So, what did you see?" Kaidan asked. "From the Cipher?"

"I didn't see anything," Shepard said. "I…I more _felt_ something. Like I had just learned something. Shiala said that the Cipher was supposed to be simply knowledge of Prothean culture. I'm supposed to think like a Prothean to understand the message in the Beacon. So, for a second, I _thought_ like them."

"I might be able to help you," Liara said, sitting forward eagerly. "I am an expert on the Protheans. If I join my consciousness to yours, maybe we can make some sense of it."

"You…you want to join your mind with mine?" Shepard asked.

"Well, when we join, your thoughts become my thoughts," Liara said. "I may be able to see something in the Beacon that you may not understand."

"Are you sure you're up for it? I mean, after…" Shepard rubbed his temple.

"She wants to do it, Commander," Kaidan said. "It may help us in some way."

"Commander, are you sure _you_ can handle it?" Ashley asked. "You were the one who was brain-probed from behind by a turian."

"Hey, hey, easy with that stuff!" Garrus exclaimed, wincing as his side hurt. Tali placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

"Sorry, Garrus, but that's what happened," Ashley said. Shepard thought for a moment and sighed.

"Let's get it over with," Shepard said, standing up straight. Liara nodded and stood up, walking to stand in front of Shepard. Up close, she could see the fatigue written over his face. She could see his piercing blue eyes and the long scar that ran down his left eye from his forehead to his cheek. She could see the stubble of hair growing around his lips and his cheeks. She closed her eyes slowly.

"Relax, Commander," Liara said soothingly. Shepard began to feel something around his head. It was like an air of water dancing around his brain, playful, yet careful. It was pleasant and nicer than before. He closed his eyes.

"Embrace eternity!"

And just as he had seen it, she saw it. Through Shepard's eyes, she witnessed the majesty of the Cipher. For one moment in time, she witnessed the entire history of the Protheans. Every memory he saw in the Cipher, she saw as well. Every smell, every sight, every touch, every taste, every sound he felt, she could feel as well. Their minds intertwined but never connected fully. They danced within that one microsecond of life the Protheans lived in the longevity of the universe.

_**The Reapers are coming—**_

_______War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death_-

She felt their pain through Shepard's own pain. But it was not a pain that was felt alone.

_______War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death_-

The pain of the Protheans was felt in all of its extreme nature. But held off into a distant corner, Liara could feel a different pain.

**Reapers…**

_______War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death_-

This anguish was chained back by steel links forged in conflict and battle, Liara could feel that much. And it was walled away in some distant corner of Shepard's mind. At the same time, she could witness the Cipher, as well as the fragmented message from the Beacon.

_-Prothean-_

…**flee…**

_______War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death_-

…**for they will exterminate you all…**

_______War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death_-

Curious, she prodded the chains that held back his pain. And with one touch, she could see—

Her.

_**They come for us all.**_

"_This place will be our hideout! Our own little heaven under the boughs of the Tree of Life!" she called as she stood admiring the oak tree that grew in the middle of a forgotten building, golden light trailing down._

_______War-pain-sentient-massacre-machines-death_-

_**The Conduit is our last—**_

"_Johnny, look at me! Look only at me"_

_**The Conduit is our gift to—**_

"_Johnny, am I beautiful?" she asked, staring at him from across the room. She was curled up under the covers, knees up to her chest._

"_John, do you love me?" she asked._

"_Don't worry, John," said the girl, who's face was a bloody mess. "I'll protect you." The bloody girl smiled warmly. He remembered her green eyes, brilliant in the dim light. She began to scream as a green flash blinded him._

"_What are you doing here?" the green-eyed girl asked Liara._

Shepard and Liara gasped for air as they stepped away from each other. Liara nearly tripped and would have fallen had Kaidan not caught her. Shepard fell hard onto the railings.

"Skipper!" Ashley cried as she grabbed his arm.

"Are you alright?" Kaidan asked as Liara took several deep breaths.

Shepard and Liara didn't say anything at first and allowed themselves to breathe and gasp for air. Liara looked up and met Shepard's eyes. She could still see the pain that was chained away in his piercing eyes, but it was fleeting. Soon, it disappeared entirely.

"I'm-I'm sorry," Liara stammered. Her curiosity once again got the better of her. Shepard took a deep breath.

"It's alright," was all he said.

"Okay, what the hell happened?" Ashley demanded. "What did you see in the Cipher?" Liara remembered then what she was supposed to do and the images of the Cipher began to flood back. She pushed herself away from Kaidan as her scientific mind took over.

"It was…incredible!" Liara said. Her excitement was now building. "All this time, all my research, yet I…I never dreamed! I'm sorry, but the images were so vivid. I never thought the experience would be so…intense! You are _remarkably _strong willed, Commander. A lesser mind would have been utterly destroyed if they had gone through what you had gone through."

"Well, that's me," Shepard said wearily. "I'm a survivor."

"Get to the point already! What did you see?" Ashley said.

"The beacon on Eden Prime must have been badly damaged," Liara surmised. "Large parts of the vision are…_missing_. The data transferred into the Commander's mind is incomplete."

"So it was useless then, huh?" Wrex grumbled as he leaned back in the chair that could barely keep him up.

"You must have seen something, doctor," Garrus said, leaning forward.

"I was able to interpret the data that _was_ relayed in your vision," Liara said. "What was there, at least. But something was missing. Saren must have the missing information." Shepard stood up and began to pace, his face only betraying how hard he was thinking.

"Okay," Shepard began. "So, Saren used the Beacon on Eden Prime and received the exact same vision that I had."

"But he couldn't have understood it," Kaidan said. "Shiala told us that the Beacons were designed to be understood by Prothean minds."

"Okay," Ashley said, taking off where Kaidan left off. "So he travels to Feros to receive the Cipher from the Thorian."

"Right," Shepard nodded. "If he's able to think like a Prothean, he can understand the message in its entirety."

"But we don't even know if he has the entire message," Tali reminded them. "If the Beacon on Eden Prime was as badly damaged as you say, then he could have received only part of the message as well."

"It's possible that Saren found another Beacon," Liara said.

"I thought you said these things were rare," Garrus said.

"They are, but they are not impossible to find," Liara said. "You just need to know where to look. If he _has_ found another Beacon, he probably has the whole vision, with the missing data. If we can find the missing data, I can…I can…" Liara reached for her head and stumbled back into Kaidan's arms.

"Liara?" Kaidan asked.

"I am sorry," Liara breathed. "The Joining…it's exhausting."

"I think we're done here," Shepard said. "We're all tired from the day. Take as long as you guys need to recover. Something tells me we're only halfway done. Dismissed."

Everyone stood up slowly and walked out of the room. Kaidan helped Liara down to the Med-Bay followed by Tali who supported Garrus. Wrex simply stretched his limbs as he walked towards the elevator. Ashley stayed behind for a moment longer.

"I've sent off the Feros report, Commander," Pressly said over the intercom. "Do you want to speak to the Council?"

"Do I have to?" Shepard sighed. Ashley smiled and shook her head as she leaned on the railing by the door.

"Udina might bitch at you if you don't," Pressly told him.

"That man is always bitching about something," Shepard could hear Joker in the background. "He'd make a stone feel uncomfortable."

"Yeah, you might as well," Shepard sighed again.

"Setting up the link now, Commander," Pressly said. Ashley kept quiet as Shepard stood before the orange holographic images of the three councilors.

"Commander," the asari councilor said soothingly. "ExoGeni should have told us about the Thorian. It would have made your job much easier."

"Yeah, no shit," Shepard said. "I pack enough heat to fight geth and I end up fighting a giant alien tumor-thing as well. Not exactly how I would have wanted the day to end up."

"Still, you were able to get the job done regardless," the salarian councilor said. "Though you may have been able to capture the Thorian for study."

"Sorry, capture giant aliens who want to make me its slave wasn't really on the top of my to-do list," Shepard said. "It wouldn't have made any difference anyways. I would have destroyed even if you told me to capture it. No disrespect intended, but the Thorian was a being whose actions prohibited coexistence. It viewed us 'lesser beings' as tools. A means to an end. We couldn't have changed its mind even if we wanted to. Besides, ExoGeni tried to study it and that's the whole reason why they were in this mess."

"Perhaps its for the best then," the asari councilor said. "At least the colony was saved in the end."

"Of course it was saved," the turian councilor grumbled. "Shepard would go to any lengths to help a _human_ colony."

"I'm sorry, councilor," Shepard said. "The last time I checked, I had a krogan, a quarian, an asari _and _a turian on my ship. They were in trouble and I wanted to help them. Simple as that."

"Admirable," the salarian councilor said. "But Spectres sometimes have to make sacrifices. I hope you're willing to do that when the time comes."

"Don't worry about that," Shepard said. "I've made sacrifices before."

"Like Torfan, Commander?" the turian councilor said. Shepard gave him an even look. "That wasn't a sacrifice. That was just plain negligence on your part. You failed to take care of your team and they suffered for it."

Ashley quickly looked at Shepard and instantly recognized his posture and his stance. It was the stance he put on if he was ready to kill someone.

"I think that is quite enough for one day," the asari councilor interjected quickly. "You've had an exhausting day and I hope you recover from your ordeal."

"And I hope you are able to control that biotic power of yours," the salarian councilor said. "You nearly lost your life because of it."

"It's under control," Shepard said, never taking his eyes off of the turian councilor. And the turian councilor, to his credit, didn't break eye contact.

"We'll be waiting for you next report," the asari councilor finished and they flickered out.

"That turian bastard was out of line," Ashley said when they were gone. Shepard didn't say anything at first. "You did what you had to do, Shepard. Both here and on Torfan. You did what you had to do."

"I did what I had to do here," Shepard nodded. "But not on Torfan."

"Commander?" Ashley asked.

"Ashley," Shepard said, using her first name again. "Sometimes, doing what you have to do isn't enough. Sometimes, you have to do things that you wouldn't normally do. Because you won't find peace doing otherwise. Like on Torfan."

Ashley looked at Shepard for a moment longer.

"Skipper?" Ashley asked. "John?"

"Get some rest, Ash," Shepard said. "You need it."

He left her standing there. Shepard really didn't feel like going into detail. It was better she thought about it before coming back to him. He knew she would come back to him with more questions, but honestly, he was too tired to care about that right now. Too tired to put up shields around himself.

He entered the elevator and rode it down, thinking about nothing and everything. As he exited, he was about to turn towards his quarters but a thought came to him suddenly. An image of a young asari woman who had had just a terrible day. So, he turned to his left and walked towards the Med-Bay.

When he entered, no one was inside but he could hear the shower running, it's water pouring rhythmically down towards the floor. And he heard a different sound, though he wasn't sure what it was exactly. Cautiously, he walked towards the door and tilted his head, trying to hear what it was. When he heard it again, though, he knew exactly what it was.

Quiet sobbing.

Shepard opened the door slowly and found Liara on the floor, arms wrapped around her legs. She was naked but she didn't seem to care. Shepard could tell she had been and still was crying, though the rushing water was washing it away with relative ease. Still, the water could not wash away everything.

Sighing, Shepard entered the shower and sat down next to Liara. He could feel her leg rub against his thigh but he made no attempt to move closer. He could feel the water drip down his short, black hair but he didn't care about that either. Liara had it worse.

"I was about to take a shower," Liara began. "I was halfway through when…when I saw his eyes. His red eyes. I could _feel_ them…trace my skin. I realized how naked I was. How pitiful I was and I became so afraid. I was so afraid of his eyes that I just…didn't move. I couldn't. Everywhere I went, his eyes would follow me. I was trapped. I can…I can feel his eyes staining my skin. It's covering my body and I can't wash it off. His eyes just won't stop following me. I try not to breathe because I don't want to breathe him in. Because then he would be ins—"

Shepard gently took her hand looked it over with his own eyes.

"I don't see anything," Shepard said. He rubbed her hand between his own two hands. "I don't feel anything disgusting here. It must be all gone."

"Maybe," Liara said, eyes beginning to well up. "But I can still feel it. It feels cold."

"That's because the hot water ran out a while ago," Shepard said. "I'll turn on the heat again."

Shepard reached up and pressed a button, and the water began to warm slightly. As he was about to place his arm down, he found Liara had pressed her body against his own, forcing him to place his arm around her shoulders.

"You're warm," Liara said.

"I try," Shepard said.

"You try to be cold to people," Liara said. "But you're warm." Shepard rubbed her shoulders slightly.

"You're warm too," Shepard told her, feeling her warmth underneath his fingertips and from her body. "Warmer than I am."

"I'm so afraid," Liara said. "Even when I promised I would help you, I was afraid. I'm not a warrior, not like you. I study data disks and ruins. I don't kill people."

"And you won't ever have to," Shepard told her. "Not if you don't want to."

"I just wish I was more helpful," Liara said. "I wish I wasn't so afraid."

Shepard sighed, breathing his hot breath on the top of her head. Shepard stared at the wall for a moment.

"Okay, then how about this," Shepard said. "When we get back to the Citadel, I'll teach you how to fire a gun. And in return, you can teach me how to use my biotics."

Liara moved her head up slightly, seeing his face. His piercing blue eyes were distant.

"I say I've got in under control but I've got no fucking idea what the hell it is," Shepard admitted. "I'm doing everything I can but I can't control it anymore, whatever it is. It comes out whenever I don't want it to. I need to control it if I have any chance of fighting Saren."

"And in return, you'll teach me how to shoot a gun," Liara said.

"And some self-defense moves, if you'd like," Shepard said. "You don't need to be afraid anymore, Liara. I'll do everything I can to make sure you aren't." Liara and Shepard were silent for a few moments more, allowing the water to arm their bodies up.

"What is that thing humans do to signify a promise?" Liara asked. "With their pinky fingers?"

"A pinky-swear?" Shepard said. He held out his pinky before Liara. Liara stared at it for a moment before wrapping her pinky finger around his. "It's a way of promising someone something. You can't break it. Like this. I promise I'll teach you how to defend yourself if you teach me how to control my biotics. Promise?"

"Promise," Liara smiled a beautiful smile.

"Let's go before we catch pneumonia," Shepard said as he stood up, pulling her up with him. Soon she was standing before him. And it was then that he remembered she was naked.

"What?" Liara asked as Shepard stared at her body, cheeks becoming red. She followed his gaze and realized she was naked. Her cheeks burned so brightly she thought they would melt right off at that moment.

"Sorry!" Shepard yelped as he dashed for the door and slammed it behind him.

"Sorry!" Liara shrieked as she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her quickly.

A few moments later, Liara and Shepard, both still a little red in their cheeks, walked to Liara's bed. She was dressed in a nightgown now and she slipped underneath the covers. Shepard did her the courtesy of tucking her into bed and even fluffed her pillow.

"Good night, Liara," Shepard said he patted her hand. Liara grabbed.

"I'm sorry but could you stay a little longer?" Liara asked. "Until I go to sleep? I know it's stupid but my mother used to wait by my side until I went to sleep if I had a bad day. It always helped."

Shepard stared at her for a moment before a warm smile melted his icy face.

"It's not stupid," Shepard told her. He pulled up a nearby chair and sat by her bed, her hand still in his. She smiled as she closed her eyes.

"Thank you," Liara whispered. "John."

"Anytime," John whispered back.

He stayed there until she was fast asleep.

* * *

Happy New Years! Three years ago (I think) I started this FanFic and I am only just now reaching the halfway mark. Lovely.

Apologies to those who thought Tuvok was going to stay dead. I'm sorry if you hate him but you're going to have to bear with him a little while longer. And no, this wasn't a last minute decision. He was always going to survive.

So what comes next? An extra, most likely. I might also work on my Fable story a little since that has been neglected. Have a great 2011 regardless!


	55. Extra: Numb

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware

«Extra: _Location Unknown_»

«or Numb»

Tuvok lay on the table, staring through red-tinted eyes at the looming walls and tubes of the warship. He wondered what color the walls actually were. It was always hard for him to tell what color the world was. The red sand he had abused has forever damaged his eyes, tinting his vision red. He could not even remember what color the skies of Palaven were. He knew it was supposed to be blue, but he could not recall what that looked like.

Dr. Saleon cocked his head to the side as he dug his instruments into Tuvok's wounds, blue blood leaking out and collecting in a puddle on the ground. Tuvok made no outward sign that he even felt the tools moving around within his insides. He simply blinked slowly and continued staring at the walls.

"How much longer do you think you will be, doctor?" Tuvok asked as Dr. Saleon moved his intestine back into position.

"Unclear," was the only response he got.

Tuvok didn't mind and continued to stare at the overbearing walls that stretched high into the darkness. To people who could still feel some emotions, he guessed the walls may have felt like they were bearing down on them. A mental illusion, he guessed, caused by the darkness, and the structure of the interior. Some would even say that this place seemed to breathe, though Tuvok wasn't sure in what sense that was true.

He heard a noise by the door and Tuvok turned his head to see who it was.

"You are quite a mess, Tuvok," Matriarch Benezia said coolly.

"Your daughter's handiwork," Tuvok replied emotionlessly.

"Yes, I heard your report to Saren," Benezia said in return. She straightened up and glided towards the operating table, hips swaying back and forth majestically the way all asari did. Waiting for the door were two of Benezia's commandos, small in stature but ready in every way possible. Waving Dr. Saleon away (which he did without a fuss), Benezia stood beside Tuvok and examined his wrecked body. If Tuvok could feel anything, he might have felt uncomfortable under a Matriarch's scrutinizing gaze.

"Your daughter is very strong," Tuvok said. "She lacks the confidence to see it."

"She was always easily startled," Benezia said. "Uncomfortable in her role as a Matriarch's daughter."

"Everyone assumed she would follow in your footsteps," Tuvok said. "She sought the Protheans as an escape. But she could not escape from the stress that built up over the centuries being your daughter." Benezia's hand twitched, though she did not seem to notice.

"And this is the end result of that," Benezia said, gazing over his body yet again. "I'm very surprised how you survived. It's very much…like an asari."

"How so?" Tuvok asked.

"Asari biotic training involves rigorous involvement with the nervous system," Benezia said. "How we reproduce is very much connected to our control over our nervous system. You survived simply by controlling nerve impulses sent by the brain to the rest of your body. More precisely, you severed nerve impulses, stopped signals from your brain to your body. Preserved the more important part of your body. That's very much what an asari would do in your situation."

"I am not an asari," Tuvok said.

"Obviously," Benezia said. "I can't tell if you are just naturally gifted or if this is just some kind of massive side effect from prolonged use of red sand." Her hand twitched again.

"I do not know," Tuvok said. "The biotic abilities for red-sand addicts are always temporary. They never last for years."

"Yet here you are," Benezia said coolly. She squeezed her hand open and shut, which didn't stop the twitching. "Your profile says that you were under the influence for over 20 years. You stopped sometime after your brother was killed. After so long, your nerves must be…dead."

"They are," Tuvok said.

"Red sand works on your nervous system, after all," Benezia continued without hearing him. Her hand twitched. "Firing false signals to give a sense of 'high.' This over-firing of electricity, however, damages the nerves. Kills them."

"That is what happened," Tuvok said.

"If that's so, then that means that you can no longer feel a thing," Benezia concluded. "Not a single thing."

"What are you getting at, Matriarch Benezia?" Tuvok asked. Benezia's eye twitched and her hand began to spasm out of control. Then her calm and poise was gone. Tuvok could see pure rage in Benezia's face.

Before he could react, Benezia shot her hand into Tuvok's open wound. With one swift movement, her hand snaked its way to his back and had a firm grasp on Tuvok's spinal cord. And with simple melding, sent thousands of signals to the dead nerves, giving them life for a few brief seconds.

Those brief seconds were hell. Tuvok could feel her hand gripping his spinal cord, rubbing against his kidneys and organs. He could feel the rips and tears in his body that Liara had inflicted against him. He could feel the blood oozing from every pore and he screamed. For the first time in years, he felt pain and he screamed in it.

"I'm only going to say this once." Benezia's voice dripped with venom. The walls of the ship breathed and Benezia gripped her head with her free hand, gasping. She squeezed her eyes shut as the walls bore down upon her. She grunted before opening her eyes again, tears dripping down her face.

"If you lay…another _finger_…on my daughter…" she squeezed out. Her voice sounded distant, as if shouted from across a long hallway. The commandos did not react in any way as their leader gagged in pain. She took a deep breath and stared into Tuvok's pained eyes.

"I will tear out your spine."

With a howl of pain from both Benezia and Tuvok, Benezia tore out her hand, dripping with blue blood. She gripped her head and gagged again, stumbling out of the room. Tuvok gurgled as fresh blood flowed from his mouth.

"_**Saleon!"**_ he gurgled. _**"Saleon!"**_

"Stop crying," Saleon said as he walked back into the room. "Distracting." Without another word, he applied a numbing agent and put him to sleep. Tuvok would never forget, however, those seconds of pain. He remembered it as he fell to sleep.

Outside the room, Benezia was on the ground, holding her head in her hands, biotics flaring uncontrollably. Her guards stood still, neither watching nor interfering. Benezia howled in pain as the walls caved in around her.

Saren walked down the hallway, holding a thick cane across his shoulders. The handle was made especially for his hand as he swung it around like a sword. He walked up to Benezia's quivering form on the ground. He crouched and lifted Benezia's chin with his cane. Her eyes were rolled to the back of her head and she was shivering.

"She's a strong one," Saren told the walls. The walls breathed in response. Saren listened. He stood up and left her shaking on the ground, letting her head drop to the ground. He turned around and walked away, placing the cane across his shoulders. He didn't even glance behind him.

* * *

This served two purposes. First, to help explain how the hell Tuvok survived since some of you were confused. Second, to give Benezia some face time. She'll be more important later on. And yes, Tuvok was always going to survive. From the moment I created him, he would survive Liara's barrage. He's not Liara's enemy. Liara has a different enemy that you may or may not see in this chapter.

I haven't been dead these past few months, either. I've actually uploaded three new videos on my youtube account. Check them out.

Also, in concept art, Saren first had a cane before they made him more militarized. Thought I'd exploit this.

I'm going to give my Fable story a chapter. See you then.


	56. Chapter 45: Major Kyle

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mass Effect universe or Bioware.

«6.01: _SSV Normandy_: Engineering Level: Storage Section»

«or Major Kyle»

Deep. Steady. Breath. In. Then out.

Kaidan knelt quietly in a corner of the Engineering Bay. He sat on his feet with his toes pointing back behind him. His back was straight and his hands were placed on his legs. He took a deep breath, using his diaphragm and exhaled slowly through his mouth. A long time ago, he discovered that meditating regularly helped ease his migraines, especially when they got bad. It also allowed him to…well, control himself.

Like all tools, biotics have always been dangerous. It was a power that stemmed directly from an individual's nervous system. Thought could become reality or so the theory went. If you concentrated hard enough, you could rip a man apart. Kaidan had seen done before. But as Liara had said before, biotics could also be controlled by your emotions. He remembered all too well what happened the last time he let his anger get the better of him.

The last time he lost control of himself was the first time he ever killed someone. And she never looked at him the same again.

Kaidan took another deep and steady breath as the emotions of that memory began to well up from within. If he lost control of his emotions, he would effectively lose control of his powers and someone would get hurt. Like Shepard. He knew it wasn't really fair to compare his plight with his commanding officers but all the same, it was true. At this point, Shepard was like a child discovering fire for the first time. Well, maybe it was like a child discovering a hand grenade for the first time. Or a nuclear weapon.

Still, Shepard was doing his best to keep it under control. At the same time, however, you have to know _what_ you're controlling in order to control it effectively. And no one on the ship had any idea what was lurking within Shepard. It was akin to biotics but it was on a whole other level, a level that Kaidan didn't even know had existed. It seemed like pure energy mixed with rage. He felt a shiver run down his spine as he thought about it and took another deep breath.

Shepard was doing his best and Kaidan knew it. But Shepard also had to deal with the responsibility of commanding one of the most advanced frigates in the galaxy, as well as chasing after Saren as the first human Spectre. There was only so much he could do when he had so many problems placed on his shoulders. So Kaidan had decided to try and make things a little easier on him by giving himself the unofficial duty of watching over the crew. Keeping his ear close the ground, as it were.

He opened his eyes and looked over at Ashley, who was cleaning her weapons thoroughly. She always cleaned her weapons whenever she had a lot on her mind. Still recovering from the cracked rib injury she sustained, Ashley had been suppressing the bitterness she felt at once again being a hindrance rather than an asset. Kaidan could sympathize with her. Many people, if not all, joined the Alliance military to prove something, either to themselves or to others. Ashley wanted to prove that she was strong and each defeat she suffered took her one step back from that goal. She desperately wanted to prove that she had strength. Or maybe it was because of her grandfather…

Kaidan looked over to Garrus, the turian who was limping on his crutch as he walked around the Mako, trying to see what repairs could be done. He couldn't do any repairs himself, however, not with the wound in his side. By all rights, he shouldn't even be up and walking about. But he was a stubborn turian. As long as he was still breathing, he wouldn't stop moving. So, instead, he helped with Engineer Adams and his team to repair some of the damages that the vehicle had sustained on Feros.

Unlike Ashley, Garrus didn't seem bothered by his defeat. He knew that there wasn't much he could do in that situation and though he sustained harsh injuries, he still did his duty. As Kaidan looked at him, however, he knew that Garrus was bothered by something. Garrus always believed in swift justice. And Saren wasn't receiving this. If anything, it seemed that they were making little progress in that respect. Kaidan understood where he was coming from. The turians were all raised with a strong sense of duty and discipline. Saren had committed a crime and had to be brought to justice. And they were no closer to finding him. Kaidan knew that this must be what was bothering him.

A door from the engine room opened and Kaidan saw Tali gracefully walk out to stand beside Adams by the Mako, reading over a data file. Tali was young and eager to impress. Kaidan didn't need to see her face in order to know that. He could read it in her body language. He did wonder, however, how she was doing after their run-in with that Geth Prime. It had acted strangely, strange enough to warrant note. And it appeared to have knowledge of Tali's mother. Or at least it had a holo, which was strange enough. He wondered how close Tali was to her mother. He didn't know much about the quarians but he could guess that by living aboard ships their entire lives, they must be close with each other. Regardless, if she was bothered by the geth, Tali was able to hide it well.

Kaidan closed his eyes again as he took another deep breath, letting it out slowly. His thoughts wandered to Liara, who hadn't left the Med Bay since they left the planet. Everyone was aware of what Tuvok had done to her so everyone gave the space she needed, but at the same time, everyone made sure she was still within arms reach. Everyday, people would come by to ask her a question about this and that, some would ask if she'd like to join them for lunch, dinner. It seemed like everyone had forgotten that she was the daughter of a Matriarch who was working alongside Saren. Some of the men even began hitting on her. Once Shepard found out about that, however…well, he put a stop to that. Still, they all were trying to help in their own way. Even Ashley worked up the nerve to ask if she needed anything. That one time.

As for Wrex…well, he was a krogan. Any discussion Kaidan had with him eventually turned to who would win in a fight between such and such. Kaidan knew that there was more to this hardened Battlemaster than met the eye but, like Shepard, he didn't exactly advertise it for the world to see. Though, Kaidan couldn't be sure, but it seemed that Wrex had begun to open up a little. Kaidan opened his eyes and saw Wrex sleeping in the corner with his large head down on his chest and he remembered the discussion he had about the time Wrex had killed a Thresher Maw on foot as part of a coming-of-age ritual on Tuchunka, the krogan homeworld. Kaidan didn't know whether or not to believe it.

Kaidan took another deep breath and released it slowly, stilling his heart as he thought over the crew. Everyone was carrying his or her own baggage. It was important for Kaidan to stay focused. Even if he was carrying his own, he couldn't let it affect the mission. He needed to help in any way he could.

"Commander, we're receiving an emergency transmission from the Alliance brass," Joker's voice came through the intercom. "It's Admiral Hackett."

After a moment, Shepard came through.

"I'll be there in a second," Shepard said before signing off.

Intrigued, Kaidan took a finishing breath and stood up. He walked to the elevator that took him up to the next level. When it reached the next floor, he turned the corner and walked up the stairs and entered the CIC. Shepard was already there, standing before the Galaxy Map. He had a data pad in one hand a cup of water in the other, which he was quietly sipping before placing it on the railing, balancing it carefully. Navigator Pressly was standing nearby, working on a datapad, looking up at the Galaxy Map every so often. The door slid shut behind Kaidan and Shepard turned to see him. Kaidan snapped a salute and Shepard returned it.

"Now," Shepard said. "Let's see what the ol' Admiral wants. Patch me through, Joker."

"Patching it through," Joker relayed. The Galaxy Map disappeared for a moment and instead turned into a holographic display of a box with Admiral Hackett's name in the corner. Within the box was a line that moved as the admiral spoke.

"Shepard, this is Admiral Hackett," the grizzled voice came through, calm but filled with age. "I've got a situation you might be interested in."

"Lay it on me, Admiral," Shepard said.

"It's about your former commanding officer, Major Kyle," Hackett said simply. Shepard blinked in surprise and took an unconscious step back.

"Major Kyle?" Shepard asked quietly.

"Yes, your commanding officer during the raid on Torfan?" Hackett said.

"I remember him," Shepard said. "I haven't heard from him since the raid, though. We didn't exactly leave on good terms."

"Yes I understand," Hackett said. "He mentioned you many times during his psyche evaluations, calling you the 'Butcher of Torfan.' I know he didn't like you but I also know that you respected him."

"He was a good man," Shepard said. "A good leader." Kaidan wondered if Shepard actually meant that.

"He was, which is why I'm handing this to you," Hackett said. "As you know, Kyle was in charge of one of the first strike teams to touch down on Torfan. You were chosen to lead the first wave. And you did it. You got the job done, but…"

"But I let over 75 percent of my squad die in the process," Shepard said, betraying no emotion.

"To put it bluntly, yes," Hackett said. "Many people died on Torfan. He blamed you but for the most part, he blamed himself for all of their deaths. After Torfan, he suffered from nightmares that progressed to hallucinations. The doctors agreed that he was suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress. They did everything they could but his psych evaluation showed that he couldn't handle the stress of command anymore. He just couldn't cope with the guilt. He was given an honorable discharge and early retirement. I guess we hoped that he would get better in time, but it seemed that he only got worse. We underestimated how far gone he was. Now it looks like it's too late."

Kaidan watched Shepard carefully with his arms crossed across his chest. Shepard had taken a step back and was leaning away from the image of the speaker's voice, which suggested that Shepard wasn't exactly comfortable with the entire situation. Which suggested many things that could be true. Knowing Shepard, however, Kaidan believed that he didn't want to get involved with Major Kyle again. The Major must not have liked the Commander at all. Or vice versa.

"What's happened?" Shepard asked, almost hesitantly.

"He's set up a small compound in the Hawking Eta cluster," Hackett continued. "He's attracted a number of followers, mostly biotics and has now become an outspoken critic of the Alliance."

"Many people are," Shepard said. "You wouldn't bring this to me unless it became more than just heated words."

"It did," Hackett said. "Three days ago, we sent two Alliance representatives to meet with him in his compound. They disappeared. We believe Kyle and his followers killed them."

"The representatives didn't have an armed escort of any kind?" Shepard asked.

"We didn't feel the need to send them with any," Hackett said. "A mistake we're paying for dearly. We underestimated the Major. We didn't realize just how far gone he was. All they wanted to do was bring him back to an Alliance facility for treatment. Major Kyle had served us faithfully for many years; we weren't going to abandon him. Given his state of mind, however, he probably saw him as a threat."

"Most likely," Shepard said. He began to pace slowly back and forth, fingertips together, deep in thought. "You said that he had biotic followers? If I remember correctly, he didn't have any biotic abilities."

"I think he's just latched onto a group he identifies with," Hackett said. "Many biotics feel marginalized or ostracized by society. Kyle probably sees them as victims who need his protection. And _they_ see him as someone who will fight for them. Maybe more than that."

"What do you mean?" Shepard asked.

"That compound is a cult, Shepard," Hackett said distastefully. "They call him 'Father Kyle,' now. Somehow, he's convinced them that the Alliance is somehow responsible for all their problems."

"Kyle probably shifted the blame from himself to the Alliance," Shepard said. "And now he's got an entire army of biotics that will listen to his every command."

"They're not an army, Shepard," Hackett warned. "They're just biotics with no one to turn to. Major Kyle provides some kind of relief for them, I suppose."

"And what?" Shepard asked. "You want me to kill them?" Hackett was silent for a moment.

"We don't want this to turn into a massacre, Shepard," Hackett said slowly. "Since you're a Spectre, I can't force you to do one thing over the other. I expect you to use your best judgment to handle this situation. Do the best you can, Commander. That's all. Hackett out."

The communication cut out and the CIC was silent. Shepard stood silent for a moment. Kaidan watched him carefully, ready to carry out any order given to him. Shepard finally looked up.

"Pressly," Shepard said. "Plot a course for the Hawking Eta Cluster."

"Aye aye, sir," Pressly said. "Estimated time puts us at little more than an hour."

"Kaidan," Shepard said. "I want you to come with me."

"Just me?" Kaidan asked, surprised.

"Ashley is in no condition to fight," Shepard explained. "And if I bring anyone else, it'll probably send the wrong message. This is an Alliance issue and it should stay amongst alliance personnel."

"Ashley won't like it, sir," Kaidan stated.

"I don't care if she does," Shepard said harshly. "It's an order."

"Aye aye," Kaidan said. He could say nothing else.

\::/::\::/::\::/

"This is bullshit!" Ashley shouted angrily.

"Told you," Kaidan murmured.

"Shut it," Shepard muttered. He sheathed his knife onto his arm and cracked his neck. Kaidan stood next to him adjusting his glove. They both stood beside the Mako, getting prepared for their drop. The rest of the team was gathered around them, waiting for their orders. Ashley wasn't taking hers that well.

"I can fight, commander! I'm ready!" Ashley protested.

"You have a cracked rib that makes it harder for your lungs to take in air, making it harder to breathe," Shepard said simply. "If this turns into a firefight, you wouldn't be able to last long. You would become too tired to do anything and you wouldn't be able to fight effectively. You're staying here."

"He's right, Ashley," Garrus said, leaning on his crutch. "You'd be hindering them more than helping them."

"Shut up, turian!" Ashley yelled.

"Hey, that's enough!" Shepard said, raising his voice. Ashley shut her mouth and stared long and hard at Shepard. "You're not coming and that's final. Am I making myself clear, Gunnery Chief?" Ashley breathed through her nose hard and finally sighed.

"Aye aye," she whispered. Shepard looked at her for a moment before nodding.

"Is it really a good idea to go down there alone?" Tali asked.

"I won't be alone," Shepard said. "I've got Captain Migraine to back me up."

"Oh, ha-ha, make fun of the handicapped. He's an easy target," Kaidan said rolling his eyes. He tightened the straps on his boots.

"Oh, cry me a river, bloody nose," Joker called over the intercom.

"Joker, if you're using the intercom for anything other than relaying orders or keeping me updated, I will come up there and break your legs myself," Shepard said threateningly.

"Just called to say that we've reached the Century System. We'll be in orbit of Presrop in ten minutes," Joker said and turned off the intercom.

"Tali's right, though, sir," Kaidan said. "Two people against an entire commune? We have no idea how many people they have and no idea what kind of defensive capabilities they have. All we know is that there is an entire commune of biotics who believe every this Major Kyle says."

"It'll have to do," Shepard said. "We have no idea how they will react to...a non-human presence. No offense."

"None taken," Garrus said. "Most humans don't see eye to eye with turians. Not after the Relay 314 Incident."

"You mean the First Contact War," Ashley grumbled.

"So not the time for that," Shepard said quickly. "Tali has had no experience dealing with biotics. And Wrex…well, you're a krogan. And I want this to be civil."

"Whatever," Wrex said, yawning. "I'm going back to sleep."

"You've been asleep for over 12 hours," Tali said.

"If you've got other ways to pass the time, let me know," Wrex stated, stretching his arms.

"Well, we could calibrate the main guns," Garrus suggested.

"Or you could help me with my forms," Tali said.

"Wasn't really asking," Wrex said as he walked away. They watched him, Shepard shaking his head.

"Anyways, I'm trying to make sure this doesn't get bloody," Shepard said. "I just want to talk to the man."

"No harm in preparing for the unexpected," Garrus said. "Why not bring Liara along?"

"What?" Shepard, Liara and Ashley asked at the same time.

"We do need the extra firepower, Commander," Kaidan said. "And if Liara keeps her helmet on, they'll just think she's human."

"Wait, she looks human to you?" Garrus asked, but no one answered.

"If you need me, I'm ready, Commander," Liara said. Ashley looked at her incredulously, but kept her mouth shut. She looked at Shepard. Shepard looked at Liara for a moment and sighed.

"Get suited," Shepard ordered. "We drop in eight."

Liara nodded and rushed off to her locker. Ashley stared after her, shaking her head and mumbling something under her breath. Kaidan looked at her and wondered if it was going to be a problem. After a few moments, he guessed that it wouldn't be. Ashley was also a soldier and would obey the orders given to her, even if it injured her pride.

Kaidan turned back towards the Mako but stopped halfway. Liara had thrown her shirt off onto the floor and was shuffling through her locker, pulling out the Light Onyx V Armor she had been issued. It occurred to him that Liara, who was normally shy and timid around people, seemed completely oblivious to the fact that she was stripping off her clothes in front of people. He couldn't tell if this was a sign that she had grown over the last month, or the fact that she would often get lost in what she was doing. Still, Kaidan couldn't say that he was complaining. Her blue skin was quite luscious and smooth. Kaidan couldn't help but stare.

"Your jaw drops anymore, I'll have to mop if off the floor, LT," Shepard said as he tapped him on the shoulder.

"Just art appreciation, Commander," Kaidan said.

"Appreciate it on your time, not while we're working," Shepard said. Kaidan shook his head and walked towards the ladder connected to the Mako. Shepard tightened his red and black gloves and checked his assault rifle one more time. As he did, his eyes drifted towards Liara. She had finished putting her armor on and was walking back to the Mako, holstering her pistol. She looked up and a small smile appeared on her face as her eyes met Shepard's. He turned away.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Presrop was the moon of Klendagon, the second planet of the Century System in the Hawking Eta Cluster. With an average surface temperature of -73° C, it is a very frigid and barren world. The surface of the planet, however, is rich with raw heavy metals that the Alliance had opened bidding for the moon's mineral rights. It is complicated, however, by the moon's close proximity to the "Five Kiloparsec Ring," an area of intense star formations that makes the planet dangerous to travel to safely. It wasn't much a problem for Joker, however, and he made it to the cold moon in no time at all. And through his expert piloting, the Mako landed on the cold surface uneventfully. And an hour later, Shepard, Kaidan and Liara had arrived at the compound.

There were two main buildings. One was a large, rectangular building that slightly resembled to Shepard a man praying on his knees. The other building was a disk-like structure that Shepard knew to be an underground storage and power facility. Shepard stared out the windows, examining his surroundings and thought of his next move. There were no other options though. He would have to go up and ring the doorbell.

"Helmets on," Shepard said. "Prepare for anything. Don't fire unless fired upon."

The doors to the Mako opened and the cold air slammed into the interior. They could barely feel the cold, the interior of their suits kept at a comfortable level. Their boots cracked across the surface as they landed on the surface. Shepard walked forward, eyes scanning the area carefully.

"Where is everybody?" Liara asked.

"Inside. Not much cause to be outside on this planet," Kaidan said.

"Still, you'd expect guards of some kind."

"I think we can assume that nothing here will be as expected."

Shepard looked around again before walking to the praying building. There was a small double door with a console in the front that glowed a bright red. Shepard approached the console and pressed a button.

"I'm here to speak with Major Kyle," Shepard said through the console.

Silence for a moment, then: "Are you with the Alliance?"

"I'm a representative. I'm here to ask about the two other representatives that were sent here before me."

Silence again, then: "This is a private sanctuary. Outsiders are not permitted. Please leave at once."

"I can't do that. Not until I speak with Major Kyle."

"_Father_ Kyle is busy at the moment. He has no time to spare on the Alliance anymore."

"I suggest he make time. Two members of the Alliance walked into your compound, unarmed and without escort. They have yet to walk back out. I hope you realize how serious that sounds. Major Kyle has one chance clear this whole thing up but I need to speak with him. If you deny me entrance, I guarantee you this will become ugly."

"Are you threatening me?" The voice from the intercom took on an edge of indignation. Liara gulped silently.

"Just stating facts," Shepard said, his voice calm and clear, betraying no emotions. The voice from the intercom, however, became more frantic.

"If we let you in, all you will do is take Father Kyle away! We won't let you! He guides us! We need him! Who else will help us if not him?" Shepard paused for a second before pressing the call button again.

"Tell him this is Commander John Shepard. I served under him during the Torfan Raid. I swear to you, I just want to talk," Shepard said. He stepped back and folded his arms, waiting patiently. Kaidan clenched his fists unconsciously while Liara looked around cautiously. The voice returned.

"Father Kyle wishes to speak with you."

The double doors in front of them hissed as they opened slowly, vapor escaping through the widening cracks. Shepard stepped away, joining Kaidan and Liara. More light escaped through the opening door and Shepard spotted shadows of movement. Kaidan tightened his fist and unconsciously moved his hand towards his pistol. Liara swallowed a noiseless gulp and moved back a step.

Three men emerged wearing Light Onyx Armor and brandishing pistols that to Shepard appeared to be from the Edge line. Shepard looked at them carefully as they surrounded his squad. Shepard raised his hands and slowly walked up the ramp and into the building. The men kept their pistols aimed at Shepard as he walked through the double doors. When Kaidan moved to follow, one of the men whipped his gun around and aimed it straight at his head.

"Father Kyle wishes to speak only with Commander Shepard," the man said.

"Wherever the Commander goes, I go," Kaidan said, staring him dead in the eye.

"Then you'll be dead," the man said.

"Kaidan," Shepard said. "Stand down."

"Commander, no!" Liara said, her eyes widening.

"I'm not leaving you alone with-" Kaidan said.

"Stand. Down," Shepard said, his blue eyes looking straight into Kaidan's own. Kaidan pressed his lips together. Liara's mouth worked as she tried to say something. She felt she had to but nothing came out. Shepard looked over at her. The scar running down his left eye moved as he winked at her, smiling mischievously. "I'll be fine. Really."

Kaidan and Liara stood still as they watched their leader herded into the building. The duo stepped away from the doors as the closed on their face, sealing Shepard in with a building full of cultists.

"What do we do now?" Liara asked.

Kaidan cursed under his breath and ran back to the Mako. He had to tell the others. This was not going according to plan.

\::/::\::/::\::/

Shepard didn't need to be told how much a bad idea this was. He felt it in his gut. His instincts were telling him to run like hell for the nearest airlock. It was one man against dozens, maybe hundreds of biotics, not to mention that the biotics were possibly deranged. The situation was simply not in Shepard's favor. Normally, Shepard would have simply forced them to take Kaidan and Liara with him. For some reason, however, he had jumped on the chance to keep them outside. He didn't want them to know about Torfan. Not yet, at least.

As he walked through the airlock, he removed for his helmet with ease, showing control even when guns were pointed at him. After hooking his helmet onto his belt, he kept his hands in the air, palms open. The three men than removed the weapons attached to his body. When one moved to grab the knife on his shoulder, Shepard grabbed his hand with lightening speed.

"You can have my guns," Shepard said. "But if you touch my knife, your hand will shatter." The guns were inches away from his face and the other two were yelling at him, but Shepard was focused on the man who's hand he was crushing with his own. Fear was dripping from his eyes.

"Get back!" a voice yelled. "Father Kyle wants him to feel safe. Let him keep the knife."

Slowly, the men stepped away, giving him room. Shepard looked at the man in his grasp hard before releasing him. The man whimpered away, stretching his hand. Shepard looked over at the man who had yelled, recognizing his voice from the intercom outside.

"Father Kyle wishes to speak with you," the man said. He wore a formal white suit with a black tie and a pair of dark aviator sunglasses. Shepard found his glasses disconcerting. He couldn't see the man's eyes.

"So I've been told," Shepard said.

"Please understand that these precautions are only for our Father's protection," the man said, holding his hands out in defense. Shepard thought his voice was too smooth and immediately didn't like him. "As you can understand, Father Kyle has made many enemies as he's preached the truth."

"I'm not here about that," Shepard said.

"But of course," the man said, smiling. He motioned behind him. "Please, follow me."

"I didn't catch your name."

"Ah. Of course. How rude of me. I apologize. You may call me Jim."

The response didn't comfort Shepard.

\::/::\::/::\::/

"You just let them take him?" Ashley shouted, her voice shrill and incredulous. It hurt Joker's ears. Luckily, Pressly was nearby to remain calm.

"So Shepard is in the building alone," Pressly said.

"_Yes,"_ Kaidan's voice was rough and tired, his breath heavy. _"It was the Commander's orders."_

"And you didn't question him!" Ashley said, pacing across the bridge. "You didn't think, hey, this might be a bad idea!"

"_Of course it's a bad idea,"_ Kaidan said. _"There was nothing we could do."_

"You could have fought!"

"_Then we would have had to massacre the entire compound. Is that what you want, Chief?"_

Ashley growled and walked out of the bridge. Joker watched her leave, shaking her head.

"That girl's going to get herself killed," Joker said under his breath.

"Gunnery Chief Williams, where are you going?" Pressly said, his voice filled with command.

"I'm going down there," Ashley yelled over her shoulder.

"She knows that we only have one Mako, right?" Joker asked.

"You're staying on this ship until otherwise, Chief," Pressly said. "As the Executive Officer, I'm giving you an order. Stand down."

That stopped Ashley in her tracks and she slammed her fist into the wall, startling the nearby technician. Chakwas looked up from her datapad, raising her eyebrow at her. Ashley shook her head.

"We can't just leave him in there alone," Ashley said.

"That's all we can do," Pressly said. "We have no idea of their defensive or offensive capabilities. So, for now, we wait."

"They'll kill him," Ashley said.

"If they know what's good for them, they won't," Joker said.

"Have a little faith in the commander, Williams," Pressly said. "He's been in tougher situations than this. He can handle himself." Ashley shook her head as Chakwas moved to comfort her, placing her hand on Ashley's shoulder.

"We need to help him," Ashley growled at her.

"Begging your pardon, Chief," Chakwas said. "But you have no idea what he needs. He's survived countless battles and wars. He won't die to a bunch of cultists. If he's in there alone, than he wants to be in there alone. Have faith, Ashley. Shepard knows what he's doing. He can handle himself. Don't you know that already?"

\::/::\::/::\::/

The men and women in the building all stared at him as Shepard followed Jim. Their stares were filled with some mixture of hate, fear and anger. Shepard was used to them all and so was unaffected by their stares.

"Our members have been on edge since our last guests," Jim said smoothly. "All members have had some form of traumatic experience with outsiders, especially from the Alliance. We know all too well how the Alliance loves to abandon its followers. So they came here, seeking acceptance. Seeking a place to feel welcome. To feel at home. Father Kyle has provided that to us. He has provided us with not only a shield from the troubles of the universe, but a sword as well. A way to fight back against oppression. Against fear."

"Uh huh," Shepard mumbled. He was barely paying attention, instead focusing on what kind of capabilities his enemy could have. Besides being biotics, they also seemed to be armed with a pistol. "Is that why everyone is armed, even at home?"

"The pistols?" Jim said. "Yes, we give each of our members a weapon besides their biotics to use. Our biotics can be helpful, but it causes some of us pain beyond your understanding. The pistol serves two purposes. One, it lets them know that they need not rely on their biotics. And two, it reminds them."

"Reminds them of what?" Shepard asked.

"That the disease can come from within as well," Jim said. "It reminds them to be ever watchful for signs of the sickness. Until the Alliance began to poke its head into our affairs, we've had no signs of this."

"And by disease, what do you mean?" Shepard dared to ask.

"Why would you ask such a question?" Jim asked. "Being a soldier and now a Spectre, you've seen the disease every day. People killing each other over resources, stealing from each other, aliens infecting our minds with lies of peace and togetherness. You see it everywhere, the disease. Here, we are safe from it. Safe from fear and pain."

Shepard decided to not talk with this man anymore, lest he contract a disease as well. Despite how smooth his voice was, Shepard couldn't help but feel that Jim was attempting to brainwash him as he spoke. So he continued to look around, try to see how best to handle the situation.

They walked down a secluded hallway and up to a door. Jim turned around and stared at Shepard through his dark aviator glasses. He smiled.

"Father Kyle will see you now," Jim said sweetly. "Please do not try anything or we will kill you."

"Thanks for letting me know," Shepard said.

The doors opened and Shepard walked into the room followed by Jim and the guards. The guards fanned out to the corners of the room as Jim stood in front of Shepard.

"Father Kyle," Jim said. "As requested, we have shown Commander Shepard to you."

Father Kyle stood in the back of the room, watering a plant with a glass, his back to Shepard. He wore a full black coat that stretched to his knees. Shepard noticed that his hair was whiter than when he last saw him. As if a thought suddenly struck him, Father Kyle stopped watering the plant and slowly, too slowly, he turned around and faced Shepard.

"Well," Kyle said, his voice sweeter than Jim's. "If it isn't the Butcher of Torfan."

* * *

Good god, how long has it been? Good to be back.

I'll be honest with you: I didn't work on this because I just didn't feel like it. I've had so much stuff going on as a college kid. Wrote a bunch of my own original pieces. One in particular I'm quite proud of (a samurai western. Go figure). I'd apologize for the lateness but at this point, you've already heard it.

This story is far from over. I will finish it. It's just not one of my priorities right now. So, enjoy what you have so far. More to come in the future (near or far, I won't say which).

Sorry this chapter ended abruptly. Better than nothing, I suppose.


End file.
